Methods of Entertainment
by Dreamy Duskywing
Summary: Ciel is a demon now, still contracted to Sebastian and quickly growing bored of Hell.  To top everything off, Sebastian is clearly unhappy with their current predicament.  What will it take to make their new life together bearable?  - yaoi, post Season 2, based purely on the anime-
1. The Play Room

**A.N - Ok, So I know I'm MEANT to be doing college work and writing AWTF, but I have watched both anime series' over the last few days and simply HAD to write this!**

**Warnings - Probable OOC, slight yaoi implicated, possible spoilers? Post Anime. lol.  
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**Disclaimer - I would love to own Sebastian...but I don't. Or anyone else.

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**Methods Of Entertainment**

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Ciel Phantomhive stretched cat-like in his bed, relishing the sensation of soft skin flowing over sinuous muscle. He looked as he always had, but he knew his body had changed; had become stronger. He yawned and ran his tongue over a slightly pointed canine before turning his gaze to the door of his chamber where a soft knock had sounded. "Enter, Sebastian." He called, smiling languidly as his sworn butler entered pushing his breakfast cart. It was routine and comforting, carrying out the motions of his old life, though he did not need to eat anything physical, nor did he require sleep. However, as time passed, Ciel had found his new life was becoming dull. His new home, though a complete replica of his old one, was empty of the joys and sorrows of his old servants. His days passed in idle amusements, no longer dictated by the Queen, nor filled with the trifles of his fiancée and lessons. This life was boring. And lonely. Though Sebastian carried out the role of butler impeccably, as always, Ciel had noticed the demon's distaste at having to follow his orders. The ever present smirk no longer graced his lips. His eyes were dull, no longer glinting in amusement. Maybe his obedience had truly been dictated by the demon's lust for his soul.

Ciel sat in silence as his butler dressed him, a hollow feeling in his chest and stomach troubling him. It had been his belief that Sebastian had cared for him as a person; why else would he have sought Ciel after he was snatched away from the demon's grasp? Was he that distasteful of a master? Too demanding perhaps? Ciel had never contemplated such things, but since their covenant had caused Sebastian to be bound to Ciel for all eternity, maybe there were ways the master could make the butler's existence less of a burden. After all, Ciel really did not particularly need a butler now, he did not need someone to cook for him; he could dress himself. Perhaps Sebastian was merely hungry. These thoughts flickered through the boy's mind, furrowing his brow and causing to worry at his bottom lip with his teeth. "...Master? Young Master!" a deep voice broke Ciel's trance and drew his gaze to the concerned gaze of the demon kneeling before him. The sight of that caring in Sebastian's eyes made Ciel's heart misbehave in the most unruly of manners. The boy fought a blush from his cheeks and met the butler's gaze calmly. Once the demon was positive he had the boy's attention, his forehead crinkled slightly. "Are you quite well young master?" he questioned, eyes swiftly taking in the boy's entire appearance to see if he had missed any sign of injury or illness. The young man looked thoughtful for a moment but kept any emotion clear of his expression.

"Sebastian...I want you to go." He said firmly. The butler's eyes widened and mouth opened slightly in confusion. Before he could say anything, Ciel continued. "I want you to go and do something you enjoy. Have some fun. I'm fed up of you looking so gloomy all of the time. That is an order, Sebastian." With that, Ciel stood and left the room, meandering his way through his empty house to the room he'd filled with toys from the Funtom Company. He gazed around himself sadly, remembering the times he had played with such toys in the presence of his parents and with Elizabeth. He had not expected to feel such melancholy upon leaving the realm of the mortals, but life in Hell was lonely. He was lonely. It was with shock that, rousing himself from his thoughts, Ciel found himself half buried under a pile of soft toys, clutching a Peter Rabbit to his chest like a small child as tears slid down his cheeks. This was not what he had been expecting his life to become; he never anticipated regretting leaving the land of the living.

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In the Master's chambers, Sebastian stood still, confused by his sudden order. He did not think he'd appeared '_gloomy_', had not noticed a change in his own attitude, he'd been too troubled by his young master's growing despondency. He supposed, if he were honest with himself, he had been feeling slightly out of sorts. It was only to be expected after he'd taken so long nurturing a soul to have it cruelly snatched away from his hungry stomach not once, but twice. His hunger was troublesome, more so now than it had been before, seeing that he was not doing anything to seek out a soul. He was unsure about the possibility of him creating a new covenant whilst he was still bound to Ciel. But he could not find it within himself to regret the way events had transpired. Sebastian was aware he cared for Ciel Phantomhive more that a demon should care for his lunch. This way he did not need to face those feelings, he could remain the obedient butler.

This bought his attention back to his most recent order. "Do something I enjoy? Have fun?" he mused quietly, absent mindedly making the master's bed and tidying the room up before exiting it. He pondered his order further as he carried a basket of dirty washing down, through the kitchen. "Do something fun..." he thought as he contentedly scrubbed at the soiled clothing. "Fun." Came the low, thoughtful hum as Sebastian hung the washing up outside on the clothes line and tidily clipped some of the more vigorously growing branches off of the skull shaped shrubs. He whistled cheerfully to himself as he raked the fallen leaves up and then paused, coming to one conclusion. "I don't know _how_ to have fun." Sebastian murmured, troubled by this fact seeing that it meant he could not carry out his Young Master's wishes.

Frowning, Sebastian moved towards the house, considering asking his master what he wanted him to do, hoping for clearer instructions. As he began searching the rooms of the mansion, the butler began to attempt solving the problem himself. "To define 'fun' might be of use. When one does something 'fun' they feel happy and relaxed. I suppose dancing could be construed as 'fun'...but it is only enjoyable with a partner." Sebastian had searched all of the rooms downstairs to find nothing, turning his steps to the upper floor; he tried to think of other activities. "Playing music...is fun?" he said hesitantly, "But only when you have someone to share it with. Cooking is fun, but half the enjoyment is seeing the people you care for sampling the food you've prepared for them." He opened the door to the playroom and peered inside before leaving. The Young Master still insisted on calling it the 'toy room' as if the name would make it more 'grown-up'.

Sebastian chuckled lowly as he continued the search of the house. "Finny always said that spending time outside with the birds was fun. Bard liked it best when he could use his flamethrower. May-rin...she loved to find the time to read a scary story." But none of these things particularly appealed to Sebastian. He was most content when working towards a goal. So why did Ciel think he needed to have 'fun'? What could the Young Master mean? Sebastian knocked on the door and entered the Master's study. It was empty, though memories of the boy playing chess with Elizabeth and using a dolls' house to plan strategy in photographing Sebastian seeped into his mind. "Perhaps that is what he meant. Maybe he wants me to play..." Sebastian frowned. Chess was a game for two, and surely the toys in the playroom were designed for children. However, seeing that the house was empty, perhaps there would be no loss of dignity if Sebastian followed orders and at least tried to have some fun with the myriad of dolls and games and books. "Well, I suppose I should try."

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As Sebastian entered the 'Toy Room', he paused, listening for movement in the house. He was slightly humiliated by his plans, but he simply _had_ to follow his orders and try to have fun, it was not possible for him to simply not obey an order. However, he was touched by Ciel's desire to see him happy, even if it were only initiated by the apparent gloominess Sebastian was issuing and not genuine concern or caring. He really would have to figure out why the Young Master was thinking this and rectify it. He wasn't gloomy, simply hungry. Shaking these thoughts from his mind, Sebastian paid close attention to the sounds of the house. Hearing only the building's usual restful noises accompanied by a cacophony of noise from within the room; he quietly closed the door behind him and took in the vast array of toys, attempting to distinguish the sounds. The main noise was from the model steam train as it ran around the room on its elevated tracks on the shelving Sebastian had fixed at Ciel's eye level around the room. The item was a beautiful work of craftsmanship; a miniature steam engine worked just as the larger versions did and contentedly pulled a number of carriages around the room over and over again, emitting clouds of steam and issuing a soft clacking sound. There was a toy monkey on a music box, contentedly clicking two cymbals together as it wound down it's spring, a clockwork solder's legs still whirred even after he'd fallen over after having walked into a table leg. Sebastian eyed all in distain before shaking himself and slowly chose to pick up a Diablo. The wooden item was no match for the demon and he swiftly grew bored of throwing it in the air and catching it on its string.

Next he chose a bilbo, but got the ball to sit within the cup first try. Frowning he sent multiple coloured tops spinning about the wooden floor at such force they didn't stop for the next ten minutes. Eyeing them for a while, Sebastian sat at a table and completed a game of solitaire, enjoying the fine craftsmanship of the wooden set more than the game itself. His eyes next fell on a corner of the room filled with art supplies and a wooden block that was obviously supposed to act as a stage. Settling himself in the chair, Sebastian disdained the use of the gathered penny plains and spent the next hour patiently cutting and painting and gluing an elaborate theatre set and little paper dolls with various costumes. Though the task was relaxing, Sebastian couldn't say he'd had _fun_. And not particularly wanting to actually stage a play, his gaze scanned the room for yet another form of diversion. He eyed the pile of soft toys for a second but really didn't see the attraction in the items and so settled on carefully re-arranging the delicate furniture and dolls in the doll house.

Once more the demon didn't see the attraction in playing make believe and searched for another past time. Setting the tops to spinning again, he wound up a jack in the box and set a little Faberge carousel to spinning, filling the room with mechanical music. Humming along to the familiar tune, the demon pulled a wooden storage box toward him and opened it to find a vast collection of building blocks. Smirking to himself and surveying the space he had, the demon began to construct a replica of London, stepping over the still spinning tops. It took him surprisingly little time to build the area directly around Buckingham Palace, since London was too vast to fit into the room, even in model version. To finish he found some tin soldiers and placed them to guard the Palace and was looking around the room curiously for some items to use as carriages and citizens when movement from the pile of soft toys made him freeze.

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Unbeknownst to Sebastian, Ciel had become very wearied by his tears and – feeling warm and safe in his comfortable bed of soft toys – the young man had drifted into slumber, all but a wisp of hair and his covered eye visible amongst the toys. He was quite a deep sleeper and, having fallen asleep to the sounds of the gathered toys, was not disturbed by the butler's initial experiments into the art of 'fun'. However, when a spinning top whizzed its way close to Ciel head, he began to stir and awoke properly when the carousel began to play. He then froze at the cackling sound of the jack in the box. Very slowly the boy had tilted his head until he could see into the room, still safely hidden beneath the mound of toys.

The sight of his butler stacking wooden blocks momentarily stunned Ciel, but when Sebastian moved and started lining up tin soldiers, the hidden boy couldn't help but start giggling, trying desperately to muffle any sound. This failed in keeping his hidden however, when the mountain of toys around him started to crumble from the motions of his laughter wracked body. Ciel went cold and still as Sebastian's glowing red eyes stared straight at him, but was shocked into sliding out of his hiding place to see the hints of a deep blush on the demon's cheeks. The butler dutifully helped his master to his feet and barely suppressed the urge to shuffle nervously. He was a fool to not have noticed Ciel hiding amongst his toys. "S...Sebastian..." Ciel cursed himself for stuttering, but he was in shock! The glowing red eyes dimmed to their usual reddish brown and slid to the floor.

"Yes my Lord?" The butler's voice was subdued, not the silky warm and teasing tone Ciel was used to.

"What were you doing?" glad to have his voice back under control, Ciel waited patiently for the demon to respond, taking in his embarrassed appearance and storing it in his memories. He was surprisingly cute when he looked this way. The young teenager's eye opened in shock at his thoughts. Yes, he could appreciate that Sebastian was a highly attractive male, knew from firsthand experience that both males and females lusted after the raven haired demon, but for a male of his rank to think his butler was _cute_! It was barely proper for a man of his rank to think of a female in his staff as attractive. Quickly composing his expression, deciding to think on this further once he was alone, Ciel was going to repeat his question when Sebastian answered, looking at the boy with a shame filled expression.

"I was...following your orders Young Master." The demon's voice was all but whisper quiet. Ciel raised an eyebrow.

"This is what you enjoy? You find this fun?" he questioned, surprised at the answer. He was even more shocked when Sebastian shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"I didn't...quite comprehend you order Young Master. I apologise if I displeased you. It's just, I enjoy being your butler and I have never had to find a diverting past time before, so I tried to emulate what you...well, what other people do for fun." Ciel's brow furrowed.

"If you enjoy being my butler, why have you been so sour faced recently?" Ciel questioned. Slow understanding dawned over the butler. His young master really did care for him. The changes in his interactions had made the boy worry that he resented their new circumstances. Kneeling, Sebastian made eye contact.

"My apologies Young Master, I have merely been...hungry. I do not know whether I can carry more than one covenant." Sebastian explained, met by a shining smile.

"Sebastian. This is an order. You will go and feed, under the provision that our contract is not broken. And that you return as swiftly as you can." Ciel lifted his eye patch, eyes glowing red, one shining with a purple rune. Sebastian bowed, smirking.

"Yes, My Lord."

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**A.N - Oooh, one more thing before I go. After writing two of the little sections, I realised that they each consisted of 666 words! Creepy or what? lol. So I tweaked the following sections slightly to follow the pattern. heehee. I hope you enjoy it. I'm very new to the Kuroshitsuji fandom.**

**_Dreamy xxx_  
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**PS. *grumbles* Stupid document editor gobbles up my page breaks grrr.**


	2. The Drawing Room

**A.N - **I am an awful procrastinator. This has become my escape from everything I'm supposed to be doing! If I'm not careful I'm going to fail college! oops.

**Disclaimer - **I do not make any money from my scribblings. I own nothing!

**Warnings - **Hmm, unbearable sweetness? Fluff and stuff? Possibly OOC, not entirely sure. Hints of Yaoiness if you squint. Still trying to decide on their relationship at this point.

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**Methods Of Entertainment**

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Ciel regretted his last order to Sebastian almost as soon as the butler left. He'd been bored before, but now he was utterly alone in his boredom. It was too early to go to bed, and he'd already taken a nap. The boy pouted and left the toy room before pacing his home. He supposed he could find something to do; Sebastian had stocked the large mansion with many various activities. Ciel could probably make use of the kitchen, but he really didn't know the first thing about cooking. He wondered what mysteries his home contained; he only used a handful of the rooms after all. There could be any number of exciting secrets. A torture room, a room devoted to the Devil, one filled with weapons, one dedicated to cats (Sebastian adored cats); perhaps there were hidden passages and rooms only known about by the builders and Sebastian. Then again, there could also be an array of empty rooms, and Ciel did not want to face that. Feeling very gloomy the boy allowed his feet to carry him where ever they wished and soon found himself outside a familiar door. Tears threatened to fill his eyes as he passed through the unassuming door and into a room that held hundreds of happy memories. His mother's retreat, a drawing room with large bay windows overlooking the grounds facing south and therefore filled with sunshine for the majority of the day. Lady Rachel spent a great deal of time in the room, having tea with her friends and most of all sewing. She loved to pass her time, a young Ciel on the soft rug playing with a collection of toys, sewing. Even though she had the staff able to mend Ciel's clothes, or even the money to purchase new ones, she delighted in the art of needle and thread. And so, when he was young, Ciel often traced the unique stitching his mother had lovingly used to repair any small tears.

The room had a large unit along one wall filled with drawers, each in turn stuffed with all the colours under the sun in various forms such as buttons, thread, cloth and wool. Ciel smiled fondly at a particular memory that arose as he sat on a small foot stool. He was four or five, sitting patiently before his mother. She was dazzling in a peacock blue dress with a resplendent collar of the bird's feathers rising behind her head and a mask perched atop her carefully pinned curly hair. She was tying something carefully into her son's hair, making sure not to pull as she fastened the ornaments securely. Ciel was excited, this was to be his first masquerade and there was promised to be a real Magician to delight the children whilst the adults engaged in dance and conversation. His clothes were as close a match to his hair as could be found, his shorts a slightly darker shade of greyish blue. He wore white socks with a black ribbon on each and shiny black shoes similar to those his father wore. His nose had been painted black at the tip and a few fine black lines radiated out across his cheeks. Ciel held his mask in his hands which rested on his lap. It was a grey colour with a blue tinge, once again to match his hair. The eye holes were almond shaped, to resemble cat eyes. He stroked a finger against the mask's surface which was furred. It was surely the nicest mask at the ball. Ciel smiled happily up at his mother, a hint of awkward hard substance temporarily glued to his top canine teeth to give them a more predatory appearance. Ciel was fond of cats even though he was highly allergic to them. And now he was to be a cat for the evening, ears attached to his hair by his mother, tail pinned to his shorts with no visible mean. It would be great fun.

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The memory made Ciel both happy and sad; he missed his mother dearly and knew that, though he no longer inhabited the world of the living, he would never see her again. She was a good woman who believed in heaven and followed the Ten Commandments. His father, however, had killed more than once. Perhaps he resided somewhere in hell. Ciel sighed and looked around the room, eyes falling on the unit. Wondering if he could recreate the cat ears he'd worn as a child, Ciel rifled through the drawers of fabrics and collected everything he believed he'd need before settling in his mother's favourite armchair and began to read a book on the art of textiles and sewing. He'd always wanted a pet cat, ever since he was a very small child. Their soft fur and sleek bodies had always appealed to the boy, how affectionate they could be, how their personalities differed. Dogs were nice, but they tended to be blindly obedient and often very exuberant. Ciel had wanted a kitten to curl up with and trail a string for. Instead he'd had to settle with a dog, which had really preferred his father. The boy began his work slowly, unaccustomed to wielding a delicately shap object such as a needle.

Though he finally managed to create what he wanted to, it was not without injury. He felt like he'd skewered his fingers multiple times and had only just succeeded in not getting blood over his work. Swiftly cleaning off the blood from his hands, Ciel tied his cat ears into his hair and grinned at their weight as he attached his tail. Glancing out of the window, Ciel was glad to see his activities had used the last of the sun's light. Leaving the room, Ciel soon found himself in the kitchen. Though he knew he had no need for food, his body clock still associated this time with a meal. Sighing, not able to cook anything to even satisfy his olfactory senses, Ciel left the kitchen and prepared himself for bed. When he'd dressed for bed and transferred his tail to his nightshirt, Ciel found he could not sleep. It didn't feel right readying himself for bed and having no one to bid him pleasant dreams. He'd never been alone in such a way. His mother would tuck him into bed, or his nanny, and then Sebastian had taken over the job of doing such tasks. Scowling, the blue haired, kitty eared boy stalked across his bedroom and sat on the window seat, watching the moon sullenly. It was different in hell than on earth. The moon took on a ruddier glow and appeared much bigger than he remembered it being.

The picture religion painted of hell was far off the reality, as far as Ciel had seen. There were no pits of fire, no screaming souls, eternally tortured. But then again, perhaps he was seeing the side of hell that was for the demons. Maybe the burning and torture was reserved only for the eternally damned. Or there was the possibility that each demon shaped his own piece of Hell to be whatever he wanted. Ciel didn't know. But the moon looked nice that colour, like a pumpkin hanging in the sky, or a dying sun. "Now is not the time to be poetic." The boy scolded himself and stifled a yawn with one hand. He wanted to sleep, but couldn't bring himself to move. If he watched for long enough, maybe he would see Sebastian return. Finding a soul to feed on shouldn't take his butler too long. Not after he instructed him to return swiftly. He studied his sore fingers, eyeing the puncture wounds thoughtfully before soothing and cleaning them with gentle licks. Making the cat accessories had been more difficult than he'd imagined, but he was pleased with the dye he'd made. The ears atop his head matched his hair almost exactly. Ciel felt proud of his work.

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Sebastian hummed in satisfaction as he entered the mansion via the servant's door. He felt pleasantly full and energised after managing to devour twin souls. Noting the time on his pocket watch, the butler decided to check on his master before catching up on any work he may have missed out on completing during the day's unusual activities. Ciel was undoubtedly capable of getting himself to bed without assistance, but Sebastian would not be able to concentrate without seeing him asleep. Entering his young master's chambers, Sebastian was concerned to find the bed ruffled, as if by great amounts of tossing and turning, but empty of the small teenager's sleeping form. Glancing around the room, the demon's eyes widened and began to glow red at the sight of Ciel curled up on his window seat, cat tail curled snugly about him and the tip on a cat ear visible on the top of his head. He was sleeping, why he'd chosen the window seat over his bed was anyone's guess, but the butler couldn't quite focus on anything but the cat like appendages.

After gazing at the boy for a while, Sebastian curled his toes up, holding his breath in a desperate attempt to contain the squeal of 'KITTY!' that so desperately tried to claw its way free of his throat. Managing to throttle the word, Sebastian could not quite achieve total silence and a small squeak of excitement escaped him. Before he knew it the demon was across the room, kneeling close beside Ciel who sleepily blinked open one eye. "...bastian." The boy mumbled, pleased to see the demon had returned, but not quite coherent so soon after waking. The man smiled gently, internally cooing at the adorable qualities of the cat-boy who was struggling further and further into wakefulness. Once the boy's eyes opened fully, his patch discarded in preparation for bed, the butler responded to his sleep muffled greeting.

"Young Master." Sebastian nodded his greeting. Getting over his initial delight at the cat-like features his master had sprouted, he felt intense envy and sorrow washing over him. "Why did I miss it? Why did you receive the honour of becoming a Hell-Cat? You don't even like cats." Ciel blinked and shifted to a more upright position.

"I never said I didn't like cats Sebastian, I am merely allergic." The boy said, uncertain about what else the demon meant. Even as he spoke, Sebastian had continued muttering darkly about 'stupid birds', how things were 'unfair' and 'much too soon'. Ciel was confused by the sudden dark expression on Sebastian's face, but as the mumbling continued, combined with the certainly unwarranted death glare Sebastian was giving him, he lost his patience and grabbed at his butler's hair. The demon froze, Ciel had never done such a thing before, and fought back a growl as his young master tugged and pulled at his ebony locks before releasing him and frowning. "There. I made you some too. I'd have given them to you sooner if you hadn't behaved so oddly.

Ciel was pouting. He'd thought Sebastian would like his creations, considering his adoration of cats. The butler was staring at the boy in mild shock before slowly rising to his feet and gazing at his reflection in the looking glass. Two feline ears graced his head. Ciel watched with intense amusement as an expression of the purest joy shone across Sebastian's face. A small hand pressed itself again smiling lips to contain his laughter as Sebastian tilted his head from one side to the other, admiring his reflection. The ears looked good on the man; his cat-like mannerisms made him look quite adorable. Ciel had managed to match the ears to the demon's glossy black hair suitably well, and was pleased to see that he'd broken the pattern of unusual behaviour. What had troubled the demon, he did not know, but obviously such dark thoughts had been wiped from his mind in favour of enjoying his reflection.

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After adjusting his ears to his liking, Sebastian turned to Ciel and frowned slightly. "You made them?" he asked slowly, coming to kneel before the boy once more. Ciel simply nodded and allowed the butler to prod at his own blue cats ears. "But...you said you were allergic to cats." Sebastian said, cringing slightly at the thought of some poor kitty being skinned to make the ears and Ciel's tail. Ciel rolled his eyes.

"It's not cat fur. I believe mine are made of rabbit fur and yours fox. I could be mistaken." Sebastian nodded his understanding and smiled.

"Thank you. This is the most wonderful gift I have ever recieved." He said happily, patting one of his own ears fondly. Ciel looked amused and reached out to tweak Sebastian's cat ear back into place, wincing slightly as the fur irritated his sore fingers. The butler captured his master's hand and clucked over the many needle pricks as well as the icy coldness. Ciel blushed. "This is why you wear a thimble." He said, eyeing the wounds with a critical eye. "Wait here a moment." The butler instructed before straightening, patting Ciel's head and leaving the room. Before the boy could react in any way more than a surprised blink at the fond gesture, Sebastian had returned with a soft wash cloth, some bandages and a bowl of warm water.

Taking Ciel's hands one at a time, the demon bathed them with the utmost care, looking very tender - if a little silly with his cat ears on. Ciel suffered the care in silence, though his current body temperature made the warm water feel like it was scalding hot, and struggled to keep his mind from contemplating how adorable Sebastian looked with his ears on, the tender expression only adding to the heart warming image. As he had his hands wrapped up carefully, Ciel yawned, eyes feeling heavy. It was odd how he'd gone from sleeplessness, to a gradual slumber, to waking and now he felt very comfortable. Just as he was drifting towards sleep, Ciel felt Sebastian scoop him into his arms and carry him to his bed. He automatically snuggled close against Sebastian's chest, trying to leech as much heat from the demon as he could. Vibrations issuing from the butler's chest informed Ciel that the demon was chuckling at his behaviour, but he was too cold to care.

"Shu'up." He mumbled, "Cold." Talking was such a struggle. He was so tired, all of a sudden.

"That would be why you're meant to sleep in bed." Sebastian chided teasingly, prying stubborn fingers from his clothes and tucking Ciel's blankets around the all but sleeping child. Ciel rubbed at his eyes and yawned.

"You took toooo long." He informed the butler. "Was waiting to...give you...mmmm ears." Sebastian smiled and gently freed the ears from Ciel's hair and placed them beside his eyepatch.

"I see. Well, thank you Young Master. Sleep well." He said quietly and turned to leave the room. A tug to his sleeve halted him. "Do you require something else?" Ciel frowned in concentration.

"Tail, not comfortable." He managed to say, wriggling free of his blankets reluctantly and shifted to swipe at the tail attached to his nightshirt. Sebastian chuckled once more and, striving to keep his mind and hands to their tasks, deftly removed the tail and hastily tucked his young charge back into bed. Ciel sighed and snuggled down under his blankets. "Still cold." He murmured. Sebastian smirked, perhaps someone was reluctant to be left alone.

"Should I light the fire Young Master?" he queried, spreading yet another thick blanket over the bed. Ciel's forehead creased in thought.

"No. Want you to get..." his cheeks dusted almost unnoticeably pink as he changed his mind about his request. "Nothing." He mumbled.

"What is it? You won't sleep if you're cold." Sebastian raised an eyebrow, curious about the imperceptible blush.

"Mm, hot water bottle." Ciel instructed sleepily, eyes drifting closed.

"Yes, My Lord."

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**A.N - **I'd like to thank you for the reviews, it's lovely to see that people are enjoying my doodling. I really hope this chapter makes you laugh, it made ME giggle at least! :)

Hee hee, sleepy Ciel is adorable! ^_^

**_Dreamy xxx_**


	3. The School Room

**AN -** I'm slowly becoming tired of ensuring each section is 666 words long. I'm tempted to stop paying so much attention to the word count and just write naturally. Lol. I hope you don't mind. This chapter may be the last for a while. I have so much work to catch up on for college. But I promise that I'll try to write when I get the chance, just because you guys make me SO happy with your kind words and encouraging reviews!

**Warning -** Apparently it's not as OOC as I fear, but this might change as the story progresses. Boy love is likely to become a bit more apparent. This story is based solely on the anime...which incidently...

**Disclaimer - **I DO NOT OWN! ;)

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Methods Of Entertainment

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Ciel was awoken by the distinct but soft sound of china clinking as Sebastian pushed the breakfast cart down the long corridor to the Master's chambers. Ever since he became a demon, Ciel's senses had heightened dramatically. Even from his bed he began to catch the scents of the items he was being bought to enjoy at breakfast. The tea, the sweetness of some mixed fruits, the homely smell of fresh bread and, as much as it troubled him to think, the scent he'd learnt belonged only to Sebastian.

Covering his face up to his eyes with his blankets, Ciel calmed his breathing until he felt happy he could emulate sleep. His days were filled with the need to copy his life on earth, he was happy then, though he was only just realising it. Now he was endlessly bored, and alone. Sebastian behaved as if nothing had changed, but Ciel missed the hustle of his days spent in London, the work of lessons and caring for the company, the adrenaline and frustrations caused by various people. All he had left was Sebastian and their farcical replication of his daily routine.

Sebastian paused outside the bedroom door and knocked softly before entering. Ciel lay perfectly still, listening to the sound of his butler opening the curtains and setting out the breakfast items on the small table beside the window. "Young Master, breakfast is ready." The soft voice of the demon came, as if he were not aware the child was awake. Ciel sighed. "I have prepared something slightly different for you today." The boy frowned, it smelt like...

"Pancakes, fruit syrup, fresh bread, butter, scrambled eggs and strong Earl Grey tea." He said, eyes still closed. Sebastian smirked.

"The Master's sense of smell is very refined." He said, watching the boy in the bed slowly sit up and blink open sapphire blue eyes, the violet of his contract mark barely showing in the light of the morning sun. Ciel's attention was drawn from the sight of his 'breakfast' rather swiftly to the items Sebastian had perched atop his head.

"You can take those off you know." He mumbled, slightly embarrassed, before turning his attention to the single dish Sebastian had placed on the table. It was filled with a mess of food, watery and discoloured by what Ciel could only assume was the tea and the fruit syrup. He frowned and glanced back to his servant, who was patting the hair around the cat ears Ciel had given him yesterday. "What exactly is this?"

"Well, I had noticed you've become rather...please take no offense, but you've become rather sluggish. This is shown in the vast amounts of sleep you've been taking. I believe this is partially due to the fact you are eating unnecessarily. Demons do not require sleep; it is considered a luxury taken only once every so often. Similarly, we do not eat physical food other than as a treat, over eating of human food stuffs may eventually cause a demon to become severely over weight. I chose to make this as a way of you enjoying the scent of the food, but to be unappealing visually so to break your body's habit of wanting to eat in the mornings."

Ciel raised an eyebrow and eyed the black cat ears Sebastian was wearing. "I am wearing these simply because I like them." The demon declared cheerfully before pulling back his master's blankets and swiftly stripping him of his night shirt before dressing him for the day. Ciel sat passively as he was dressed, standing when necessary and concentrated on the scent of his breakfast. A slightly shaky sigh emitted the young teenager's mouth. "Young Master, have I displeased you? I can make some breakfast if you really desire it." Sebastian looked concerned.

"No, that's not it." He said and shook his head when the butler clutched at his cat ears in concern. "I'm...simply...bored." Ciel huffed in embarrassment. Sebastian blinked.

"How should we rectify this?"

* * *

Ciel looked at his butler thoughtfully before sighing once more in a wistful manner. "I wish we could leave this house." He said, glancing out of the window longingly. The grounds did not draw Ciel to them, he wanted to recapture the sense of adventure he'd become accustomed to. Sebastian chuckled.

"That's an easy wish to fulfil, I would offer to pack a picnic...but we've already discussed the fact neither of us need such food. The grounds are quite lovely. You could even point out anything you'd like to change. I have been working on the gardens; there are different sections to it. One is a Japanese stone garden as we designed in your previous manor. Then, of course, I have cultivated extensive rose gardens; there are fountains and even the beginnings of a sensory garden. The wind in the grasses makes quite a pleasing sound and the lawn is made up of various trimmed plants that release scent when bruised. Also, I'm rather fond of the skull topiary but I think it may be a bit overwhelming..."

"No. I don't mean the grounds." Ciel spoke up, cutting his butler's rampaging speech on the topic of gardening off before he could go into intensive detail. The dark haired man actually _pouted_, causing Ciel to raise his eyebrows in slight shock. Since he'd returned the day before, he was behaving bizarrely. It wasn't even a return to his usual mannerisms from when they were on Earth, he was more...Ciel supposed it was happiness. More energetic, he smiled more, not his usual smirk, but a real smile. The boy was concerned that the mere day's break from his presence had relieved Sebastian's gloominess. "Sebastian, you've been acting...oddly." he interjected before his butler could comment on his desire to explore Hell.

"Ah, I am?" he asked with faux nonchalance. Ciel merely nodded, blue eyes fixed intently on reddish brown ones, watching for any evasiveness. "I suppose...I'm just no longer hungry. And I have been hungry for a long time." Sebastian looked away and cleared his throat as if embarrassed by the confession of such mortal reactions to hunger. It was humans who showed odd behaviour due to hunger be it anti-social, overly energetic, tiredness or even weakness. Demons should be above such things, though Sebastian did tend to appreciate and hunt out the more difficult of souls to dine on. "So, did you want to go somewhere specific, or just out?" he questioned, not quite comfortable with the thought of his delicate seeming young master out amongst the demons.

"I don't know." Ciel hummed thoughtfully. "I thought maybe we could go and visit your home? If you'd like to? It must be a long time since you've been there." Secretly Ciel was very curious about Sebastian's life before they'd formed their contract. Was there such a thing as nobility amongst demons? Surely Sebastian would fall into such a class if there was. He held the air of such a person, but showed deference so easily to Ciel as his butler. Much to his disappointment, Sebastian shook his head.

"My home isn't there anymore." He didn't look sad, merely as if stating a simple fact.

"Oh, well, I guess you could just show me around a bit?" Ciel questioned, glancing up at Sebastian and immediately finding it a struggle not to laugh at the cat ears. Sebastian looked at the boy gravely.

"If we are to go out, I think it might be beneficial if I were to teach you a little bit about our society and what to expect when we leave your home." Ciel looked at Sebastian askance, what was there to learn! They were only going for a walk after all. Before he could voice any of his thoughts, Sebastian had collected the 'breakfast' and was heading towards the door. "I will meet you in the school room shortly Young Master." He said before exiting the room, a worried frown hidden from the boy watching him leave.

* * *

Ciel sat at his school desk, legs swinging as he awaited his butler turned tutor. The boy could not fathom what he needed to learn about, simply to go out. The door opened before Ciel could over tax his brain on such thoughts. The raven haired butler still wore his fluffy black cat ears and without pause he began speaking upon entering the room.

"There are two main classes here, the Demons and the tortured. Their relationship is not exactly the arrangement your religions on Earth teach. The tortured are not here to be eternally punished, though they do not exactly have any rights. We keep them rather like humans keep animals, but it is not exactly the same. Any demon may claim a tortured for as long as they wish. If one takes a particular liking to one, they have the option to...purchase it. It's something similar to our contract, though it does not hold the mutual gain element. A demon will mark a tortured as their own, this way no other demon may touch the tortured without express permission. These claimed souls appear to have a higher standing amongst the other tortured, sometimes this makes sense. For example, a demon might choose a tortured to become their companion. The soul will be lavished with attention and remain by the demon's side until they tire of them. Others may decide they like the sound of a specific soul's scream and claim them to torture themselves. The tortured have their own sector of Hell, they are kept separated from the Demons homes unless they are claimed to prevent any unfortunate accidents.

"Another thing you should bear in mind is that a Demon on their own home ground will be far stronger than anyone other than the highest powers. Here you have a far greater power than any other demon you are likely to meet. This strength is lent to those you care for and reside with you, though to a lesser degree. Once you cross the boundaries, this additional strength can no longer be tapped until you return. Each demon shapes his home to his desires. It is not a conscious thing, though it is possible to reshape aspects as you see fit. The longer a demon has resided in their home, the stronger their accumulated power."

"Is that why your home is not there anymore? Because you have not lived here for a long time?" Sebastian smiled at his Young Master's intelligence.

"Exactly. Though my home still exists, it cannot be accessed. This may be a slightly difficult concept for you to grasp. Things here exist on different plains. Your home is both physical and a part of yourself. It is like the embodiment of your soul. This is why you draw power from it. Each demon is allocated such a space, they may choose not to use it, but it is always there for them. Young demons still living with their parents may use such a space as a retreat. This is what I need to talk to you of next.

"Children are very precious here. Demons may breed but once every half century, and a child is not always guaranteed of a coupling. A demon will only be able to carry young if they have the right temperament and if the one they copulate with is someone they care for deeply. The pair must also both be demons. A demon cannot carry a human's child, though there is a very rare occasion of a demon falling in love for a human and siring a child. This does not happen often. Very few demons are born, so they are doted upon. You must be very wary. Demons with children automatically gain a higher standing in our hierarchy. Since you are even more of a rarity in having been human, it is possible you will be sought out. You should not leave here without me. It would also be best that we hide our contract."

* * *

Ciel pouted. He'd come to the conclusion when he'd ordered Sebastian to go and eat, that he no longer needed to wear his eye patch as there was nothing to hide any longer, and had actually been looking forward to having the use of both his eyes again. And there was also the pleasantly possessive feeling he encountered every time Sebastian chose to remove his gloves and show the world his contract. Why the sight of the purple brand glowing on the back of the older man's hand made him feel so euphoric Ciel couldn't tell. The demon butler obviously felt similarly as he smiled a little sadly and attempted to console his small master.

"It is only necessary when we go out of the grounds, and it won't be for much longer. But whilst you are still very much a child, I must do everything I can to protect you. I will not allow you to be taken away. The sign of our contract would bring too much attention to you specifically and, being so young, you could easily be manipulated if others knew you were once human." Ciel was confused, why would their contract signify he was human? As if reading his thoughts, Sebastian continued his explanation obviously still in 'tutor mode'. "Demons only mark one another in such a way when..." the demon almost looked as if he would be blushing, were his will not made of iron and fighting the warm flush away from his cheeks. "Well, under certain circumstances. The only other time a demon bears such a mark is when contracted to a human. Since you are so young, the only feasible reason for us to bear signs of our contract is your once human soul. This makes you a rare prize, and I would rather not have demons fighting over my master."

Ciel wanted to ask the other reason for demons to share a contract mark since Sebastian clearly did not wish to share, but the possessiveness in the butler's voice distracted him. Ciel was not used to feeling as if he were precious. He had always seen the people he interacted with as pieces in a game of chess, loyal to him only if he played well. To hear Sebastian's voice deepen and to watch his eyes glow slightly red made Ciel realise that he was no longer a part of the game he had been playing. He was suddenly playing a new game, one much bigger and – judging by Sebastian's words – this game had higher stakes. And Ciel did not yet know the rules.

"Unfortunately, I have yet to find horses, and I believe I am right in thinking you have not ridden since you were about five?" Sebastian continued, oblivious to his master's whirlwind of thought. Ciel nodded, the butler's words bringing to mind his little black pony which had broken its leg in an attempt to jump its stable door in a storm and had to be put down. He had refused any riding lessons ever since. "It is not customary for demons to use carriages, so I am afraid we will have to walk." Sebastian looked genuinely contrite, Ciel just smiled contentedly.

"I should enjoy the exercise. I feel like I've been cooped up in this house for years!" The boy looked at the demon and sighed, itching to be free of the confining walls of his home. "I suppose...if you have nothing left to teach me, we should ready ourselves to leave?" The demon grinned.

"I have a great deal more to teach you, but for now, you should change into something more suitable. It is, after all, the very first impression you will cast upon your neighbours, you must look your best." Ciel snorted softly and followed Sebastian back to his room, trying to quash the nagging sensation his body was filling him with. He felt hungry, but if Sebastian said he didn't need to eat, then he would trust his butler.

* * *

**A.N -** Please be aware that I am making my own version of Hell up as I go along. And if anything confuses you, do tell me. I'll try to make it clearer! :D

Thank you all for the favourites and alerts and REVIEWS! I love you guys!

**_Dreamy xxx_**


	4. A Trip into Town

**A.N -** Ok guys, I love you so much! :) Your reviews are so awesome! I love reading them and hope I manage to respond to them all!

I assume you all noticed the 'romance' category and the 'CielXSebastian' pairing when you chose to read this. I **WARN** you once more, here there be boys smooching! I feel very naughty since this is my first attempt at a proper kiss. lol. Tell me if it's bad. *hides head*

So...**Warning** - I may up the rating, because Ciel and Sebastian are too awesome together to resist some yaoi. You have been warned more than enough times!

**Disclaimer -** I do not own anything in this story other than the plot and random version of Hell!

* * *

Methods Of Entertainment

* * *

Sebastian walked a step behind his master, slightly to his right, watching the small boy take in his surroundings. After a pleasant walk through the grounds and out of his home's gates, Ciel had been greeted by an open expanse of nothingness. There was the faint hint of a purple substance for them to walk on, and the occasional swirl of muted colour moving through the blankness. Reacting instinctively to the unknown, Ciel drew back until he was pressed against his butler, head tilted back to gaze at the tall man questioningly. Sebastian simply smiled, gently covered his master's visible eye and, holding him about the waist with his free arm, exercised his will and teleported them to the gateway nearest to the central town. Ciel, once released, gazed down the red grassed pathway that led to the sprawling town nestled in a rocky bowl. They had suddenly appeared in the centre of an ancient structure of rocks stacked and balanced atop each other. Smiling brightly at his companion – not even questioning how they'd appeared in such a place, Ciel stepped out and headed towards the town, bright blue eyes taking everything in. Sebastian was admiring the child's inquisitive nature as well as the grace with which he moved. The long soft green coat swirled with Ciel's movements, his cane, topped with a silver skull, shone in the muted sunlight. He looked as if he were made to be here, walking this path into the central most hub of Hell.

Unknown to Sebastian, Ciel's bright happiness was partially false. He was thrilled to be out of the house and was excited to be experiencing new things; however, every step he took that furthered him from home somehow seemed to increase the discomfort in his stomach. He tried convincing himself that it was his body complaining the lack of breakfast. That was the only meal he ever really felt he actually needed these days. But if he didn't actually need it, there was no use in eating and his stomach should just get used to the idea! Trying to take his mind off of his complaining innards, Ciel turned his attention to his surroundings, surprised at what he saw. The road he and Sebastian walked on was not paved, but grassy, though there were two narrow strips framing the grassed road that were made of what appeared to be a deep purple slate-like stone shaped into interconnecting stars. The land around them sloped down towards the town and turned from yellow grass lands dotted with silver leaved and black barked trees to a rocky landscape full of unusual hues. Ciel looked at the brightly coloured orange and green rocks intermingled with more muted blues and lilacs. The road continued to be made of grass right to the entrance of the town where it appeared to become red gravel or dirt.

The town itself was built in concentric rings, resembling a wheel with four main roads leading in at what Ciel assumed were the points of a compass. The very centre of the settlement held a wide open area surfaced in the red grass of the road. It was filled with people in what appeared to be a kind of open air market or auction. A road circled this and then there were many small buildings made half of the stone from the surrounding area, and half from the unusual naturally black wood from the native trees. From what he could see, the majority of people leaving the market entered one of these buildings. The next road split the half and half buildings from ones made of only stone or only wood. The stone buildings looked to be for entertainment, from pubs and casinos to theatres and concert halls. The wooden buildings looked to be available for hire; the occasional small group of people left the buildings in the first ring and entered the wooden buildings on the second. The third ring was filled with shops where it looked like you could purchase anything you desired from toys to jewellery to musical instruments and furniture. The outer circle was obviously meant for the stabling of horses and the relaxation of travellers. They were all inns and spas with beautiful gardens and open air baths. Each of the buildings had its own series stables and paddocks with the addition of a small building that appeared to cater to feeding the horses from barrows.

* * *

Each circle of the town was clearly built so that it could overlook the market but not block the view for the outer circles. It almost resembled an amphitheatre from the gently sloping surroundings. The outer circle was built into the walls of the hollow; steps lead down into the town itself with ramps either side for horses. Ciel was thoroughly fascinated by the unusual design and happily distracted from his snarling stomach which, luckily, was not actually making any audible noise. As the pair stepped down into the town's outer circle, Sebastian moved closer to his young master, staring around his balefully, as if daring anyone to come closer than they should to the boy. Ciel was much too busy staring at the horses nearest to him in the closest paddock of what appeared to be a bath house.

"Sebastian...that horse has teeth." He stated, eyes glued to the beautiful palomino horse. The demon chuckled.

"Most horses do, my Lord." Ciel scowled at his butler and huffed indignantly.

"Yes Sebastian, but that horse's teeth are sharp. Like a carnivore's. Do the people here file their creature's teeth?" The boy supposed that it might be aesthetically pleasing here for your mode of transportation to look blood thirsty. Sebastian covered his mouth to hold back a laugh before responding.

"No, my Lord. The horse's teeth are pointed because they _are_ carnivorous." The child spun around to stare at his butler in utter shock and disbelief. His only response was to be turned back around by the butler who then pointed out a man pushing a barrow full of raw meat towards the palomino, which proceeded to jealously gulp down the slippery meal as quickly as it could. Ciel shivered.

"That just seems...wrong." he muttered remembering quite clearly how his pony used to gently lip carrots and apples from his hand. And the fact that his stomach practically screamed at him as he watched the horse eat...Ciel was beginning to feel rather ill. Sebastian tugged the teenager away from the paddocks and down the road into the next circle of the town. The child followed quietly, trying to press his hands against his stomach (in the attempts to stop it feeling like it was gnawing its way through his abdomen) without Sebastian seeing.

Sebastian smirked at his young master's mumbled words and, gently grasping the boy's sleeve in a gloved hand, led him towards the next circle of the town. "Why don't we do some shopping, my lord?" he asked, glancing down at the child. Ciel, roused from his thoughts about carnivorous horses and sadly reawakened to the snarling of his stomach, made eye contact with his butler.

"At the market?" he questioned, gaze drawn down the road to focus on the circle of red grass at the very centre of the town. The demon butler looked very confused at first but when he followed the direction of Ciel's focus, he paled slightly and shook his head.

"No Young Master, you do not want to go there. This is the shopping district right here." Sebastian gestured grandly at the collection of various shops and seemed relieved when his charge simply nodded and began browsing through a stall filled with magic charms.

* * *

As Ciel seemed to sift through a vast number of little charms which made his skin tingle when his fingers neared them, he was in actual fact struggling to remain sane. The ache in his midriff had bloomed into a tempest. He felt his stomach roaring and writhing within him like a caged animal, ripping at its fleshy prison in an attempt to find something to devour. The boy was slowly draining of all colour, his lips had even paled despite how hard he was chewing them in an attempt to remain quiet. Surely this should have bought at least a little blood to the surface? But it seemed that Ciel's blood had retreated within, curling about his roiling stomach in an attempt to control it leaving his limbs weak and his vision slightly hazy.

The boy had been waiting for Sebastian to suggest they stopped for lunch, but slowly the realisation dawned on him that the raven haired man would do no such thing. It was unfair that he was so unaffected by this writhing hunger, or perhaps Ciel was just not used to it. Maybe _he_ needed to visit earth to feast on a soul or three. But that thought made him feel even queasier. Many people had died by his order, but the idea of killing an innocent simply to eat their soul was slightly sickening. Even if he carefully chose to hunt a criminal, it would still be killing for his own gain, not for some greater good. And though he was a demon now, Ciel could not condone such an act, even if his stomach _were_ slowly digesting itself. After slowly moving to and examining three more stores, Ciel finally could no longer stand it. Grabbing at Sebastian's tie he tugged his startled butler to his eye level and, allowing his eyes to glow red, hissed at the poor man.

"Sebastian, I am _hungry_!" The man, held by a fist so tight the knuckles had whitened, blinked. Ciel rarely showed his new demonic side, and now his eyes were shining, red and demonic, pupils the narrowest of slits. Sebastian swallowed, awed at the power the small boy was emitting.

"Then we should return to the manor Young Master." Sebastian moved to pull away from the child but was stopped by a tug on his tie.

"No." Ciel shook his head vehemently. "I must eat now."

"But, my Lord..." Sebastian's mouth remained open for a moment longer than necessary when he was cut off.

"No Sebastian. There must be something I can eat here, yes?"

"Well...I suppose there is. But you won't like it." The demon looked uncomfortable. Ciel scowled.

"I don't care. Bring me something to eat immediately."

"Young Master, I can't. It is highly improper..." Ciel's eyes blazed.

"Sebastian, do not make me repeat myself."

"At least let us move to the inns, somewhere more private?" Sebastian almost pleaded. This seemed to break Ciel's strength and the child's eyes reverted back to their natural blue before filling with tears.

"It hurts Sebastian." He whimpered, feeling as though he were about to faint.

"It will take but a moment Young Master." Sebastian said sympathetically, silently berating himself for such a lack of forethought. He scooped the boy into his arms and asked that he feign sleep. Finding the task simple, trusting Sebastian to take him somewhere where he could sate his hunger, Ciel went limp in the man's arms. Sebastian made quick progress the nearest inn and hired a room before disappearing inside and locking the door. Ciel was placed carefully on his feet and found himself met by a solemn gaze. "Are you quite certain you want to do this?" Sebastian queried, his instincts roaring that he feed the poor little child, but a small part of his mind rationally arguing against it. Ciel felt hazy.

"I...why would I...go and cook me..." He was confused by his butler's words, why would he question wanting to eat? His stomach wailed at him, thrashing about below his rib cage in such a violent manner that he slid to the floor and drew his knees to his chest, clutching them tightly, trying to remain whole. The boy pressed his face against his knees, drawing in deep shuddering breaths. "Please." He whispered, eyes stinging with tears.

* * *

"My Lord." Sebastian sounded pained. "This is not a mortal hunger. I will have to feed you almost as a parent bird would its chick." He was hesitant, cupping the boy's face almost tenderly. Ciel was so lost to his hunger that the thought of regurgitated food did not faze him in the slightest. If anything, the idea that he would not have to pause even to chew was a blessing.

"Sebastian, please, I can't stand it." Ciel murmured; his pride in tatters as he tilted his head and fluttered his eyes closed. Sebastian watched as his Young Master opened his mouth slightly, the very image of an obedient young bird. He was ever the faithful servant after all; there was no way he could deny such a plea. Moving slowly at first, watching his master, Sebastian removed his gloves and gently brushed parted lips closed. Ciel's forehead creased and he let out a whimper, desperate that nothing slowed the relief of the pain in his abdomen. Smirking, Sebastian moved closer, lips hovering a mere breath from the pouting, soft lips offered to him. He paused, breathing out a warm rush of air and felt Ciel shiver in eagerness beneath his hands still cupping the child's round cheeks. Moving carefully, as if afraid to damage the boy, Sebastian pressed their lips together.

Ciel stilled at the gentle contact. A part of him was wary of his butler's actions, knowing that this was frowned upon. Then again, he had been warned that it was 'improper'. Ignoring his better judgement in the face of his stomach still snapping like a starving tiger, Ciel simply parted his lips once more, waiting as patiently as he could for his meal. Even as he waited, the boy began to wonder about the wisdom of his actions. Sebastian was _kissing_ him. It was wrong, but didn't feel bad exactly. In fact, if he tried to ignore his stomach's pain, he felt a slight fluttering sensation inside him. It may have been pleasant, were it not combined with the lurching of his stomach. A new sensation drew the boy's thoughts back to what was happening. Something slick and warm was entering his mouth. Scrunching his nose up, determined to eat despite how unpleasant the idea of regurgitated food was when he really thought about it, Ciel opened his mouth slightly wider and jumped when what he'd presumed to be food _moved_ in his mouth.

Sebastian smirked into their kiss as Ciel startled. He was thankful the boy had been patient and hadn't attempted to bit his tongue. Pulling the boy closer to him, Sebastian took his time in tasting every inch of his mouth. Ciel's distinct flavour was sweet, almost too much so, but it was mixed with something stronger, refreshingly sharp and pleasant. To Sebastian's shock, the boy shifted out of his upright foetal position and grasped the lapel of his coat with slightly shaking hands. The older male hummed, turning his attention to coaxing Ciel's tongue to dance. The boy complied slowly, hesitantly, no longer aware of his stomach as he pressed closer still to the warmth Sebastian was emanating. The sensation of warm muscles fighting for dominance, rubbing and darting was new and bewildering, but Sebastian was gentle, allowing Ciel the chance to explore his mouth.

The boy did so, running his shy tongue across the man's teeth and the roof of his mouth, trying to identify the icy flavour, like champagne, but nicer...fresher, like strawberries but fizzing slightly. A sigh escaped Ciel's lips and he pulled away, suddenly feeling satisfied, eyes half lidded, lips shining with saliva. "Seb..." the child started, only to be cut off by a finger to his lips.

"Hush, sleep. I'll take you home." The butler soothed, smiling gently down at his Young Master before picking him up bridal style and leaving the room, blue haired head resting comfortably against his chest.

* * *

**A.N -** I really struggled to put this chapter into words, it's been plauging my mind for a while now but no matter how I tried, it didn't want me to write it quite how I wanted to. Hopefully it's still ok and you guys enjoy it!

**_Dreamy xxx_**


	5. Exploring the Grounds

**A.N - **urgh, I nearly cried! I've been trying to post this for nearly 2 days! lol. I was very amused by the reactions I got for the last chapter, and you have no idea how happy the reviews made me! Gave me the motivation to get out of bed and into college! hahah. I have some stuff to apologise for, but I'll wait 'til the end. :) Enjoy!

**Warnings -** still yaoi-ish...

**Disclaimer - **still not mine!

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Ciel awoke leisurely, he felt wonderfully comfortable and peaceful. The pain in his stomach had long dissipated, leaving in its place a soothing warm sensation. The boy's eyes flickered opened, taking in the limited view of his bedroom which was all he could see from his reclined position amongst his pillows and blankets. He sighed in utter contentment, allowing his eyes to drift closed once more. Seconds later they snapped open, memories of what he assumed was no later than the previous day began to clamour at his mind. Ciel sat bolt upright all of a sudden, startling Sebastian who was just turning from placing some clean clothes into the armoire. "Good Morning, Young M..." The customary amicable greeting was cut off unexpectedly.

"You kissed me." Ciel blurted out almost accusingly and blushed, hands clapping over his mouth and eyes widening in shock at the involuntary words. Sebastian looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I did try to warn you, My Lord." He said softly, avoiding eye contact. "I am afraid that ages ago humans developed our method of feeding the young ones to their own devices."

"It was a kiss." The boy retorted stubbornly. The demon met his master's gaze finally and took in the determination there.

"I suppose there is no use in arguing with you." He sighed. "On earth it is known as the 'Soul Kiss'." The butler supplied, hoping for the child to understand that he was not really lying. Ciel's eyes widened, but with horror rather than understanding.

"You fed me your soul!" he squeaked. He hadn't wanted to feed on a human soul, but the thought that he'd consumed Sebastian's was intolerable. The elder chuckled.

"No Young Master. I merely shared with you a portion of one of the souls I recently consumed. They were overly sweet for my own palette, but perfectly suited to yours." His eyes sparkled with a passing amusement which Ciel missed in his relief. Sebastian sobered swiftly and he knelt at the child's bedside, red eyes boring into blue and violet. "I am so sorry My Lord."

His eyes were pained; he shifted his focus to the embroidered coverlet and began talking. "I did not take into account your unique nature and it caused you such great pain! Young demons must feed frequently, if they are in a demon's home any adult in the vicinity instinctively infuse the home with morsels of the souls they've consumed. The child is sustained in this manner, feeding off the soul's energies in their surroundings. They need only be fed as I did you when they are away from a demon's dwelling. The specific combination of soul and physical plain in a demon's home is needed for the normal method of feeding to work. I believe that, though you do not need to eat as much as you once did, you do need something physical to sustain you other than what I automatically provide. It is my belief that my prior 'gloominess' was due to the fact I was using my depleted resources to supply us both with energy. This should not occur again."

Ciel listened quietly, allowing his butler to try and explain his actions, partially surprised at the apology. One glance at the man could show how great a guilt he was currently carrying. "I will ensure that I prepare meals for you, small enough to not over indulge your system, but satisfying enough to avoid such a situation's reoccurrence. I think that when you mature to adulthood you will no longer even need physical food."

"I believe you will only need to prepare breakfast Sebastian. When you went to hunt I did not eat luncheon, nor supper, and encountered no adverse effect until just after breakfast time. Also, if you feel the need to feed, do let me know. It would surely be quite simple for you to leave whilst I sleep." Sebastian bowed and left the room, leaving Ciel to his thoughts as he prepared a light breakfast for his master. The young Earl sat in his large bed feeling slightly lost and troubled.

* * *

Though Sebastian had clearly satisfied Ciel's howling stomach, it did not change the fact that they had shared a kiss. Had Sebastian's hesitation and warnings been on behalf of Ciel's social ideals or had he been concerned because _he_ saw it as a kiss as well? The young demon was not accustomed to such gestures of affection, he didn't like it when others touched him, he suffered it of his fiancé and it had never bothered him with Sebastian. Lizzy would occasionally drop a kiss on his cheek, his mother had often planted a soft kiss to his forehead when bidding him sweet dreams; it was customary to brush one's lips to the back of a lady's hand. But a...'soul kiss' as Sebastian had named it, was a kiss between lovers. The idea was troublesome.

Men did not kiss one another it was unthinkable. Ciel's father had never once kissed him. And most certainly not in the way Sebastian had. Ciel could not imagine children, demonic or otherwise, kissing their elders in such a disgraceful manner. Though when he thought of it, nursing a baby could be thought of as similarly disgusting were you not accustomed to that method of feeding. Despite this, kisses were supposed to be an exchange between adults, intimate and affectionate. And he, Ciel Phantomhive had participated in one, with his butler no less! His _male_ butler! _**AND**_ he'd kissed back, it had not been one sided at all. If any of his associates caught wind of such indecency, his family name would be in disgrace. Luckily he now resided in Hell, free to do whatever he wished to with his butle...

Ciel let out a low whine at the direction his thoughts were racing in. Clutching at the hairs about his temples with a vicious grip, Ciel tried to use the pain as a way to cut off his inappropriate thoughts. Before he could get around to tearing such humiliating desires and images from his mind alongside handfuls of coal blue hair, Sebastian spoke up from his hovering position in the doorway, eyebrow quirked and breakfast tray in one hand. "Young Master..." Ciel startled, hands releasing his poor locks and coming away with strands of fine hair attached to his fingers. "If you have lice it is really a simple matter of..."

"_LICE!_" Ciel screeched, eyes blazing in fury. "I am not some common urchin to be plagued with _lice_!" Sebastian hid a smirk and placed the breakfast tray on his indignant master's lap.

"My apologies, I had assumed your pained expression and grip on your hair was due to itchiness. My mistake. For breakfast today I have prepared Scotch Woodcock and jelly served with Keemun tea." Ciel pointedly ignored his servant as he began to eat. The tea was wonderful as always and the eggs were pleasantly prepared, not too strong and perfectly cooked. He was glad of the jelly; its wobbling took his attention from his anger and even amused him slightly. And it tasted divine. However, his infuriating butler had planted a seed in his mind and even as he felt the last mouthful of jelly wibble its way down his gullet, he was squirming slightly beneath an amused red gaze, fictitious creepy crawlies skittering over his skin. He swallowed a growl and turned his cool gaze to meet Sebastian's, the demon was awaiting further orders, patient and serene as if Ciel didn't _know_ he'd been silently laughing at him mere seconds earlier.

"Sebastian, I would have you draw me a bath. Add in..." Ciel paused, struggling to bring to mind the exact bath his mother would prepare him if he had been amongst the children of London. "...coconut, tea tree, rosemary, lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus oils." Sebastian seemed baffled by the list of oils especially since Ciel's preferred bath was usually lavender oil at night and a mix of strawberries and raspberries in the morning. He bowed gracefully as always and left the room to run the master's bath.

As soon as the raven haired man was out of the room, Ciel began scratching furiously at his head. He knew that he was not infested with lice; however, the mere mention of the nasty parasites was enough to make his skin crawl. He shuddered, hoping the knowledge that his bath could dissolve the creatures and their eggs would be enough to settle his mind. Damn Sebastian and his slyly teasing words!

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The first thing Ciel did, once assisted into the free standing bath, was to completely submerge under the water until his breath escaped his lips in a cloud of pearly bubbles. At this point, his butler took it upon himself to reach down and pull the boy up for air. Sebastian looked both fascinated and bemused by his Young Master's sudden odd behaviour. "My Lord, it is customary to wash one's hair in the evening. Damp hair during the day can be detrimental to one's health." Ciel, who had been gazing contemplatively at the water whilst considering dunking his head into the wonderful – lice destroying – liquid once more, shot his butler a sidelong glance.

"I trust in your ability to ensure I do not suffer ill health or catch chill." The boy said loftily. "Now, please make certain I am thoroughly cleansed from top to toe." Satisfied by this point that no parasite could possibly hope to survive his bath, Ciel began to clean himself with a soft wash rag, smiling at the slightly ticklish sensation against his skin as Sebastian massaged his hair into a lather.

Once the boy was squeaky clean, diligently rubbed dry with soft fluffy white towels and dressed in comfortable day clothes, the pair looked at each other, suddenly at a loss as to what they should do next. Ciel eyed the solemn man thoughtfully. "Sebastian, would you be so kind as to show me the gardens? And perhaps we could discuss your plans for further work on the topiary and so forth?" To Ciel's mixed pleasure and utter astonishment, Sebastian's face lit up with a dazzling smile. It was as though the older male had assumed his young charge had blanked what he spoke about the day previous entirely. As though Ciel cared nothing for his butler's interests. And was surprised to find that, actually, Ciel had taken in almost every snippet of information offered to him.

"Yes, My Lord." Sebastian almost purred, bowing before turning to lead the child into the grounds. Ciel was not particularly interested in viewing the grounds, but really could not bear to be cooped up inside his home all day. With the worrying prospect of either choosing to remain inside his small domain, or facing Sebastian's method of feeding him again, Ciel decided to allow himself a while to dwell on his options. But having spent the morning wallowing in his mixed up emotions, the child had decided he needed distraction. And oddly for him, Ciel wanted to make someone happy. Someone other than Lizzy who he'd only really obliged in an effort to curtail her whining. He wondered when he'd started caring so much for his ever faithful butler and could not pinpoint one particular defining moment.

Shaking his head of such thoughts and focusing his attention on the grounds, Ciel furiously refused to let his mind return to its contemplation of Sebastian and his relationship. Instead he listened to Sebastian's enthusiastic explanation of his landscaping plans and thoughts on how he might breed some bigger, brighter, sweeter smelling flowers. The grounds were laid out indescribably, melding without obvious harsh lines from one theme to the other. Each section was suited to a different mood or mind set. The stone garden was wonderfully relaxing with its tiny water features and barren beauty interspersed with the occasional splash of green and the glimpses of lazily turning koi carp flashing orange and gold in the pond. Ciel paused to admire the pond beside which a cherry tree was in blossom, delicate pink flowers dropping to the stone bench beneath and suffusing the immediate area with a soft cherry-like scent. Sebastian smiled up at the tree and sighed softly. "It is a shame that those on earth cannot enjoy the eternally blooming cherry blossom. It is a delight to the eyes and nose." Ciel nodded quietly and moved to follow Sebastian through more of the garden.

There was an orchard filled with fruit trees and a vegetable garden close to the kitchen for when one may feel industrious or encounter the desire to work with nature. Sebastian had also managed to create a softly sloping hill dotted with beautiful flowers which looked quite natural growing there. At the top of the hill stood a very sturdy stately old Rowan tree, much larger and stronger than its earthly brethren. From one of its lower branches hung a cushioned swing large enough to seat two. It appeared to be the perfect place to simply think and perhaps watch the sun set. Ciel quirked an eyebrow at the tree, his mind throwing stories of the tree to his forethoughts. The tree was thought to be one of magic, a protector of travellers and even the tree from which Satan hanged his mother. If the boy remembered correctly, the rowan tree was said to protect against evil and had often been used to guard ships and houses from lightening strike. He looked at Sebastian who simply smirked and led him on towards the topiary garden.

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After deciding that, yes, the multitude of skull shaped bushes were rather overwhelming and could do with being interspersed with swirling spires and spheres at least, Ciel paused in the centre of the hedge maze and took a seat on the bench conveniently placed there. He gestured that Sebastian sit also and pursed his lips, eyeing two skulls jutting out from the top of the hedge thoughtfully. "Sebastian...?" he began, eyes still trained on the two topiary shapes sat side by side.

"Yes Young Master?" the demon enquired politely.

"Yesterday you told me that a demon shaped his home subconsciously." Sebastian nodded, registering the fact that the child was asking for affirmation. "You also said it was possible to shape aspects to one's own desires." Ciel turned his eyes to meet Sebastian's. "Can you teach me now?" Sebastian was startled by the question. Ciel would have ordered it of him previously. He paused, thinking about his pupil's strength and hummed thoughtfully.

"It would depend on how big an aspect you wanted to change, My Lord. I can easily teach you the theory...but being so young, your demonic powers are far from developed." Ciel frowned.

"Say I wanted to change those." He pointed at the two skull shaped plants. "Simply into different shapes. Would that be feasible?" Sebastian nodded and shifted slightly to face Ciel directly. The boy mirrored his movement and gazed up into red eyes.

"You must concentrate on what you wish to do. It will be easier if you close your eyes, and if you take my hands I will be able to direct you mind to mind." Ciel eyed his butler mistrustfully for one split moment, concerned that the demon may kiss him again, but swiftly he relented and let his eyes drift shut as he placed his hands into the demons. "Very good." Sebastian's voice was soft and soothing. "First you must picture what it is you wish to change exactly as it is at this precise moment." Ciel nodded slowly, calling the two leafy skulls into his mind's eye. They sat, grinning toothily, side by side, eye sockets dark and gaping. Sebastian, as if he could see the image himself, hummed appreciatively. "That's right...but you need to give them depth. You're looking at them like a flat image. You must at once hold the image of what they look like from all angles to create their real form." Ciel's forehead crinkled in concentration. He managed to get the image right from the front and the top, but every time he tried to add more, details dropped. "May I assist you Young Master?"

"Yes." The boy replied, instinctively dropping the walls to his mind as the unmistakable presence of Sebastian was sensed at its boundaries. He felt the surprise and admiration from the butler's mind at his actions, read the fact that it was considered a difficult task and took most demons years of tutelage to master. Feeling bad for reading his butler's mind, Ciel turned his attention back to the skulls, desperately trying to hold each image in place.

"Ah. You need to think of them as parts of a whole, not as separate entities." The demon's voice resounded in Ciel's mind, bringing understanding.

"Oh." The child breathed, seeing the difference immediately and fixing the images.

"Nicely done Young Master. Now, bend them to your will, change their forms and breathe _out_." Ignoring the strange inflection of the word 'out' and the fact that Sebastian chose that moment to withdraw from his mind; Ciel followed the elder's instructions before opening his eyes and focusing on the skulls.

They were no longer there. In their places stood a raven, wings folded neatly against its back. Beside the bird sat a cat, paws regally positioned together and tail tucked around its leg. Ciel smiled.

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**A.N - **Hi again! So, apology #1. I know there's no smooching going on in this chapter! I'm sorry, but poor little Ciel needed a little time to recover. Be assured that I'm 99% certain there will be further romance blossoming other than the fluff I tend to concentrate on! :)

Apology #2. My life is getting a teeny tiny bit hectic. I have 2 weeks to complete...5ish assignments. Then exams over the following month. BUT! then I am free for 5 whole months. MAN I need a job. I nearly died of boredom last time I had 5 months and nothing to do. lol. That's incedently when my fanfic writing began. So, I ask that you be patient with any slow updates.

Love you all

**_Dreamy xxx_**


	6. The Stud Farm

**AN. **Hey guys! I'm so happy to have another chapter to give you! I know the last one was a bit rubbishy...and this one isn't particularly wonderful, but It was getting too long so I had to slice it in half. I have a rough plan of the next chapter which should be up in the next couple of weeks. I have 3 exams left and wrote this chapter when I should have been revising for my statistics exam. But I've decided there's no chance in hell I'm going to pass it anyway, so I chose to write fanfiction instead!

**Disclaimer.** Nope, I still don't own them. However, the horses are totally mine! XD

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**Methods of Entertainment**

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It had been two weeks since their trip into town. Two weeks of spending time in the garden, of requesting Sebastian teach him more about the craft of needle and thread. Two weeks of furiously refusing to eat any fruit, anything sweet. And yet not even Sebastian's sessions in tutoring him in the social and geographical peculiarities of his new home could drive from his mind what he dearly wished to forget. Every night, when Sebastian had bathed him in lavender scented water and dressed him in similarly scented night clothes, tucked him into a warm, soft bed, Ciel would fight sleep and fail. He was desperate to escape the memories of that day in the town but unable to do so. The boy was conflicted. His mind was disgusted by his behaviour but his body craved the fizzy, sweet taste, the oddly tender actions and comfortable sense of being satisfied. He was beginning to think that it would all have been oh so much easier to have been eaten, drained dry of his life force and left a husk, like the skin a spider left behind. However, now more than ever, the idea of being left alone, of being without Sebastian within calling distance, tormented the young demon. Everything had become ever so much more difficult since his restlessness had dragged him and Sebastian into town. If he'd been more of a docile person, this would not have happened. He wouldn't be sat in the school room, idly listening to the lesson whilst his mind whirred with thoughts and desires and the attempts to quash them. Ciel was also, once again, facing restlessness. Everything was becoming routine and dull. He needed something new, but he was worried about his true motives to wanting to leave his home. Was it boredom? Or was it the desire to taste that fizzy sweetness?

Sebastian was tutoring Ciel on the different forms a demon could take, but he knew that his words weren't really being retained by the child who appeared to be paying him the utmost attention. "So, to summarise, a demon has an animal form, a demonic form and a human form. They may take on the shape of whatever they wish to, but only for a certain length of time before they are drained of energy. However, it is possible to stay in one of the three forms indefinitely." The demon frowned. "Young Master, this lesson has been a complete waste of time. Would you like to talk about what is bothering you?" Ciel blinked slowly, rousing from his thoughts and blushed slightly at his butler's words.

"I'm sorry, Sebastian. I am restless. The walls are stifling, I feel like I have been doing nothing! Can we go somewhere...maybe look into buying some horses? You could teach me to ride, couldn't you? And I promise, I'll pay attention to your lessons...it's just, I can't _concentrate_." Sebastian was surprised by the apology, his master really _must_ be distracted to apologise in such a manner.

"You wish to go to a stud farm?" the butler asked, not certain taking his young master there was such a good idea, considering his reaction to the palomino the other day.

"I would like to learn to ride. And having my own horse would be nice. We have stables; I saw them three days ago." Sebastian smirked.

"So you've been thinking about this for a while then?" Ciel frowned, confused. "We didn't have stables when we first arrived." The dark haired man elucidated. The boy blushed faintly as he nodded, realising Sebastian was right. "Well, we shouldn't put them to waste...however; horses are very precious and expensive. I would suggest we went in disguise." Ciel grinned, eager to relive a part of his previous life. Though he'd distained dressing in disguise before, now it made him feel like he were going to do something exciting. He was so pleased by the idea that he completely missed Sebastian's sly smile.

"Okay. We shall go in disguise. You shall have to tell me the role I'm to play as a demon child...I assume you'll be playing the role of my parent? I am uncertain of the behaviour expected of one my age." Sebastian bowed his head slightly.

"I shall indeed play the part of the doting father." He pretended not to notice the slight flinch from the boy at the word 'father'. "Children here are kept young; they are allowed their youth until they reach adolescence. They can do nothing wrong and are spoilt awfully. However, as horses are so expensive due to their careful breeding and intensive training, your character would likely have been whining and nagging for a good few decades for one. I believe we shall say it is a gift for your...success in besting your master in combat for the first time. This is the mark of a child growing in strength and skill."

To say the very least, Ciel was unimpressed. And to exaggerate the intense look of displeasure, anger, humiliation and myriad of other emotion was quite simply impossible. The child's blue eyes had started out icy cold and dark but slowly, as his emotions swelled, they brightened, gaining more red until they phased through violet to pure ruby glowing their fury balefully up at a grinning man. "Sebas..." Ciel growled, only to have a finger waved irritatingly in his face.

"Ah, ah, ah. Now then dearest darling, what way is that to speak to your father?" Sebastian was _clearly_ enjoying his role much too much. In preparation of helping Ciel to alter his appearance, the older of the two had demonstrated how to change the colour, style and length of one's hair. He was not particularly fond of his straight blond hair tied back in a tail, preferring his usual raven black, but it suited his purpose.

"But...!"

"Now, I know you're excited my precious one, however, you must remember your manners and address me properly." Sebastian kept a pleasant smile fixed on his face but the younger boy knew it wanted to transform into something more sadistic. Ciel looked about ready to explode.

"FINE!" he snarled, eyes flaring impossibly brighter. "_Father_." He spat, "WHY must I wear this...abomination?" Sebastian contorted his features into one of great hurt.

"Why, sweetheart, I bought it especially for you. I believed it would match your hair quite spectacularly. Does the colour displease you?" Ciel pulled his lips back from his teeth in an impressive snarl.

"You know very well that the colour is not what I find wrong with this costume." The child was barely holding back, his small form shuddering with suppressed emotion.

"The red does so complement your eyes and contrasts strikingly with your beautiful blonde curls dearest one." A low burble of sound reverberated around Ciel's ribcage, causing Sebastian to drop his pretence. "Master, a father doting on his daughter will put the Stud owner off his guard. A girl child is more rare and beautiful than a son."

"You said the horse would be for besting my combat master. Surely my character is not a cute little innocent such as Lizzy."

"You would have a string of masters, each progressing in strength. There is nothing to indicate what level of combat training you are at. Now, would you like to proceed with purchasing a horse, or would you rather we remained here and continued your lessons?" Ciel pouted. "Very well. May I suggest you call me 'Papa' rather than father. Such an endearing name may be easier for you to say without conjuring pained expressions." The butler clearly was very pleased with himself, gently adjusting the puffy red and white sleeves of his 'daughter's' dress and carefully rearranging the artful array of blonde curls hiding the red eye glowing with a violet pentagram. Ciel stood quietly, pouting slightly. It was always him who ended up in the worst of the costumes. However, leaving his home, buying a horse for himself and probably one for Sebastian, amongst other positive outcomes was enough to make him succumb to Sebastian and his desire to ridicule him by making him wear a dress. A pretty, frilly, red and white gingham dress. With matching ribbons in his hair. And on his little red shoes worn over innocent white stockings.

Sebastian was wearing blue; it was odd to see him in colour. The man's coat was a vibrant Prussian blue, decorated tastefully with silver thread. His trousers were a very deep regal blue and met with shining black shoes. Ciel glared unhappily at the clothing his butler wore and sighed, patting the hair over his contract bearing eye and eyeing Sebastian's gloved hands sadly. He really did not like to hide their contract, but could not be sure as to why. He believed it was something to do with possessiveness, but could just as easily be something else. The feeling of Sebastian's warm hand on his shoulder was comforting as the tall blond led the smaller out of the grounds and into the swirling black. One again Ciel found himself held to a broad chest, eyes covered with a gentle hand. He breathed in the scent of his butler and smiled to himself. Despite his ridiculous clothing, this outing should be quite fun.

The stud farm was much more extensive than Ciel had anticipated. Sebastian had taken them to one farther away than usual for two reasons. The first was that this far away, there was no chance of the horse breeder to know he and Ciel were not who they appeared. Secondly, this was reportedly the best stud farm, producing strong, graceful horses of extraordinary beauty and faithful dispositions as well as unusual markings and colouring. The pair had arrived on a gentle rise, looking down on the sprawling farm. The many paddocks were dotted with various coloured horses and each had a different coloured grass. The fenced areas spread out like a patchwork quilt with a grey gravel pathway running around the wooden fences to act as the stitching holding it all together.

"Horses here do not live in herds such as those on earth, though they are social creatures. Each paddock has a different grass; each has a different scent and attracts horses of different temperaments. The horses congregate in the paddock that attracts them, this prevents conflict. The groups are not fixed and the only ties are between a foal and its mother. Occasionally a stallion and mare will mate for life, but it is rare. Mares are dominant and tend to be more aggressive, larger and stronger than the males." Sebastian explained leading Ciel down towards the large courtyard with three rows of stables and a stone dwelling. As they got close enough to the courtyard for the workers to see them, Sebastian slowly took Ciel's hand in his. The smaller of the two glanced up at the elder and raised an eyebrow. "I need you to stay beside me for now dearest." The currently blond man beamed down at his little daughter who sighed and nodded compliantly.

Ciel was beginning to feel the effects of hunger, his limbs felt weaker than usual and his stomach was making its discontent known. It was not yet painful and the child found it easy to ignore, but when he did consider it, he felt a surge of emotion overwhelm him. He stood beside his 'father', smiling in an attempt to seem excited whilst the adults talked. He was dissecting his emotions as Sebastian explained his pride in his daughter's victory and his desire to purchase her very first horse. Ciel was bubbling with anticipation, his hunger would soon build to painful proportions and he would have to be fed by Sebastian again. The mere idea of how this thought pleased Ciel was worrisome to him, not only were they both males, they were currently playing the role of father and daughter. It should seem wrong, but it didn't. Ciel shifted his weight in anticipation and acknowledgement of a slightly larger rumble from his stomach. Sebastian's hand, even through the gloves, was warm and comforting as it squeezed Ciel's. The small blonde looked up to find the eyes of both men contemplating him. Tilting his head coyly to one side, Ciel beamed at the adults.

"May I please go and see the horses Papa?" he asked, batting his curled eyelashes slightly. Sebastian, ever the professional actor, smiled dotingly down at the child whilst the other man snorted in amusement. A brief look passed between the men, Sebastian seemingly asking permission to let the young one roam around the farm, and received a brief nod in return.

"Of course you may my little blossom." Sebastian said in a sickeningly sweet tone of voice, crouching down to Ciel's height. "Just promise you will not enter the paddocks." Ciel blinked. Who would be foolish enough to enter the enclosure of a carnivorous horse? Instead of voicing his thoughts, Ciel giggled girlishly.

"I promise Papa." He said, surprising himself and Sebastian as he threw his arms about the older man's neck and hugged him. "Thank you!" he cooed, desperately remaining in character as his face lit up in embarrassment at his impulsive actions. Releasing Sebastian, who also removed his arms from their protective embrace about the child's waist, Ciel smiled up at the silent man watching the little exchange and scampered off as quickly as he could in his silly little shoes and uncomfortable dress.

As the two adults discussed the abilities of the little blonde girl and the temperaments of the available horses, Ciel wandered along the grey gravel paths, pausing every so often to admire a particular horse. His mind was on the burgeoning hunger pains in his midriff and his bizarre feelings towards Sebastian. It was concerning, this sudden change in their interactions. Ciel may have come to think, at least privately, of Sebastian as more of a friend than a pawn as their contract progressed. However, this was a big step from friendship. Never had the boy felt this longing, had his thoughts constantly be drawn to one person. It was definitely unnerving, but at the same time, it felt right despite how much his mind argued that it was disgusting and immoral. Things like that didn't really matter now anyway, considering he was already a denizen of hell. Huffing out a deep breath in an attempt to clear his mind and ease his stomach slightly (it didn't) Ciel found himself drawn to a paddock of almost silvery blue grass which resembled running water when the wind blew through it. There were not many horses in the field; it was close to the stables, making the boy realise his thoughts had carried him a full turn about the farm and, glancing to the courtyard, Sebastian and the owner still had not finished whatever discussion they were holding. Sighing softly, Ciel drifted towards the fence and leant on it, his gaze drawn towards a black horse. From what Sebastian had mentioned, Ciel guessed the horse was a female. She was a glossy black colour and was standing facing away from the boy masquerading as a girl.

The boy stood still for a while, nervous of the sharp teeth he'd witnessed the palomino bearing. However, the desire to see the horse in all of her magnificence made Ciel cluck his tongue. One ear flickered slightly but the horse remained still, her gaze focused towards the stables. Recalling how his pony had liked to be whistled at, Ciel attempted to summon the mare similarly but once more got a flick of an ear and nothing more in response. Wrinkling his nose and whimpering as his stomach rebelled, the boy doubled over. The hunger seemed to come on much faster than last time, and Sebastian had made sure to feed him breakfast. A low moan escaped his lips as his innards writhed; it was getting to the unbearable point where he'd snarled at Sebastian to feed him in town. Ciel's contemplation of his hunger was cut off when a huff of warm breath ruffled his blonde curls. He froze but slowly straightened as a soft velvety nose nudged at his face. His eyes met the deep violet gaze of the mare. She snorted at him softly and nudged her nose against his chest, her ear tilting as if to listen to his grumbling innards. The child slowly lifted a hand to pat the creature's neck which earned him an appreciative sounding nicker before the horse pulled away and cantered off towards the stable. Blinking in surprise at the sudden departure, Ciel's attention was mainly focussed on the remarkable markings the horses legs were banded with. Her main was black but shot through with the same shimmering kind of greens and purples a crow's feather showed in sunlight. Around her legs wound bands of the same colour, striking against the black of the rest of her coat. Watching her leave, Ciel was hit by the sudden need to buy that mare. Not for himself, but for Sebastian. The raven coloured horse would complement his butler perfectly. His stomach roared at him once more, causing the young demon to sink to his knees. What he didn't expect was the approach of hooves and the soft squelch of the item dropped very nearly in his lap.

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**AN. **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if things seem to be going a little slowly! :)

**_Dreamy xxx_**


	7. The Stables

**A.N - **Hi guys, sorry I'm taking so long to update. I'm almost done with college now! Also, sorry how long this bit with the horses is dragging. I hope you don't mind!

One more appology. I'm very sorry I haven't replied to my 6 most recent reviews. doesn't seem to want me to! :(

**Warning - **It's rated T and Romance for a reason guys. If you don't like yaoiness 1. why are you reading this? and 2...there's yaoiness, please refer to 1. lol. Second warning...animal cruelty? just a smidge...nothing too bad. Poor little bunny...

**Disclaimer - **I don't own any character you recognise as to being in Kuroshitsuji. I'm only profitting from the enjoyment of writing and the pleasure of entertaining people! :D

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**Methods of Entertainment**

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The scent of the item deposited directly in front of Ciel was wet and warm, something familiar but unlike anything he recalled ever having smelled before. It made his mouth water, but he held back, not entirely certain he should heed his snapping stomach and devour the horse's offering. He did know that any shred of self control would leave him within a few short minutes. Even now his limbs were weak and shaking, unable to support his attempts to stand. Seemingly growing weary of the child's disdain of her offering, the mare gently picked up the chunk of red meat in her front teeth. The interaction between horse and blonde child did not go unnoticed. The owner cut off mid explanation of his horses pricing and pointed up towards the silver blue paddock. Sebastian's eyes followed the direction. "I think your daughter's hungry, Sir." The man announced as the mare stuck her nose, and the meat she was holding, into Ciel's face.

The child leant closer, eye glued on the food. Raw meat was not edible, he knew that, but perhaps it wouldn't harm him now he was a demon, and he was ever so hungry! Sebastian was already moving and as his young charge hesitantly reached out to take the meat from the mare, the elder swept Ciel into his arms. The child flailed his arms in agitation, face scrunched up against the onset of frustrated tears. The mare huffed angrily and bared her teeth, but settled at a whispered word from the currently blond demon. The owner shuffled up beside the pair and indicated the stables. "There's a room beside the tack room, it's there for when one of the horses is unwell. You're welcome to use it." He said with an almost fond smile at the sight of the pretty blonde girl held ever so carefully in her father's arms.

"Thank you. I'll find you once she is sated." Sebastian said over his shoulder, already striding away, spurred on by the sounds of Ciel's pained whimpers. Knowing they were still within earshot, Sebastian tried to reassure the child. "It's ok beloved, I'm sorry I hadn't noticed your hunger, we're nearly there."

Ciel's response was a slight shift in Sebastian's arms, an attempt to find a position that quelled the ache in his stomach. His mind was filled with the pain in his midriff; it was maddeningly present, insistent and sharp, never dimming. The butler decided he needed to distract the boy.

"You know, I was born on a stud farm." He began, smiling at the faint spark of interest in Ciel's suddenly opened eye. "My mother always had a fondness and understanding to horses, and when she found herself carrying me, she requested that my father alter their home. They already had a small number of horses, but mother believed that a farm would be a wonderful place for a child to grow up, that it'd build strength and character and understanding. My father doted on his mate and did as she asked. We had a large home, the farm spread out around the entrance and the border, paddocks encircling our house which was framed by the stables. It was a small farm, but a good one.

"I didn't care much for the horses, preferring to work with the falcons and hawks which father kept. And, of course, I had a soft spot for the cats. Mother always kept one or two tamed, but they bred and we had a large number of feral cats as well." Sebastian paused in his tale at the faint but distinct sound of breathy laughter coming from Ciel. Quirking an eyebrow as he entered the stable block, Sebastian couldn't help but laugh at Ciel's words.

"You...you're a stud." The child giggled, partially delirious from hunger. Sebastian grinned and set Ciel down on the rickety bed set up in the room at the end of the stables. It was clear that it hadn't been used for a while. As the elder of the two ensured the door was shut, Ciel curled himself into the foetal position, wrapping his limbs about his abdomen as if he were trying to hold his stomach captive. Sebastian shot him a sympathetic look and came to sit beside him, gloved fingers sweeping soothingly through temporarily blonde locks. "Hurts..." Ciel murmured, his mind trying to focus on the pleasant sensation of Sebastian's petting.

"I know. Shall I..." before the butler could finish his question, Ciel had uncurled and clambered into his lap. Shocked at the sudden motion, Sebastian's arms automatically wound about the petite waist. Ciel sighed and buried his head against the male's strong neck, breathing in deeply.

"I'm hungry." He stated, soft pink lips brushing against Sebastian's throat. The older demon froze, eyes widening as his master, still dressed in red gingham frills, pulled away to stare him in the eye. "Feed me."

A small, secret part of Ciel was absolutely horrified by his abruptly brazen behaviour. Even though his body interpreted this interaction as a way to be fed, his mind most definitely saw it as flirting, leading to a kiss. And even if he _did_ want Sebastian to kiss him, he'd much rather gain those kisses whilst in control and feeling rational, rather than throwing himself Alois Trancy-like at his butler. It wouldn't do!

But, oh! Sebastian was tilting his chin up gently, fingers cupping Ciel's face oh-so tenderly as he pressed their lips together. Ciel couldn't deny that his mind enjoyed their actions as much as his growling stomach did. The child found himself winding his fingers through Sebastian's hair and wrinkling his nose at the coarse texture, preferring the butler's usual glossy black hair to the blond he currently sported. This distaste didn't prevent him from tugging gently but demandingly at the hair twined about his fingers, lips parting hungrily, begging for the pain in his stomach to be taken away.

Of course, Sebastian obliged, tongue questing out to teasingly make contact with Ciel's. The butler smirked at the soft moan which escaped the child unnoticed as he ran his fingers through golden curls and drew his young master yet closer towards him. They both seemed to take a feline pleasure in the warmth of the other, Ciel pressing himself against Sebastian who tightened his hold on the child and allowed him access to his mouth. It amused the older demon to witness the eagerness of Ciel's reaction to his submission. Where he had previously been shy and cautious, Ciel was bolder, though Sebastian did read a small spark of surprise in the child's slightly tensing muscles. However, as he continued to feed, he relaxed, and even became slightly playful, trying to engage Sebastian's dormant tongue in play once more.

The elder was shocked by how comfortable Ciel seemed to be, especially after his initial disgust at the feeding method. In fact, he had even withdrawn and become oddly interested in various distractions. Sebastian had been led to believe that Ciel really could not abide the affectionate contact, so was surprised to find the young master being so forceful at the present occasion. Deciding to humour him, Sebastian's tongue joined Ciel's in a brief but satisfying dance and, overcoming the child's inexperienced attempts, swept his muscle to re-familiarise itself with all the corners of the warm cavern of Ciel's mouth. The sweet but sharp flavour was tainted with the slightly bitter remains of the soul Ciel had just fed on, but Sebastian did not remain long enough to be bothered by it.

He withdrew, eyes smiling down at the child's and shining with slight amusement. "Are you full now darling daughter of mine?" he said, grinning at the pout he received. Ciel appeared to be displeased about something and responded to Sebastian's questioningly raised eyebrow.

"You..." The child's cheeks coloured, "tasted different today." He said, eyes downcast. "Last time you kis...fed me, you tasted sweet. Today it was more of a...bitterness, like dark chocolate." Sebastian hid the smile prompted by Ciel's abrupt shyness.

"Well, that flavour is not _my_ flavour, but that of the soul you consumed. Last time I had fed on the soul of a young female who desired my assistance with revenging some small misdeed on the part of the boy she thought she loved. This soul belonged to a spiteful man, a thief, who wished for me to lead some men in stealing a man's life savings and then to kill all involved so he could retain the riches himself. Each soul has its own distinct flavour, and their sins and vices only serve to emphasise the taste." Ciel blinked, absorbing this information.

"Oh." He said, forehead creased slightly as he absently snuggled against Sebastian's chest. The older demon chuckled, causing Ciel to blush and stand up, rearranging his skirts before looking at 'her' 'father' to question his laughter.

"I presume you preferred the sweet soul of the innocent rather than the bitterness of the thief?" he questioned, earning an awkward bob of the head, blonde curls bouncing and a flurry of skirts as Ciel spun about and left the room. Sebastian chuckled to himself, entertained by his master's contrasting behaviours, before standing slowly to follow the child outside.

He was almost immediately bought to an abrupt halt at the sight of Ciel clinging to the top of one of the half stable doors, peering into the stall with avid attention. "Se...Papa." the boy recalled his character just in time. "What is wrong with it?" he asked, nodding towards the stall's lone occupant. Sebastian came to stand behind his master, arms automatically encircling his waist to help keep him in position.

The horse was only a few days old; it was tiny and lay on its side, eyes half open and glazed. It would have appeared to be dead, had its sides not been moving up and down with each shallow huffed breath. The foal's coat was dark, but the colour was indiscernible and dull, none of the light filtering into the stables reflected off of the dusty looking hair. Ciel's face showed utter compassion towards the little horse. Sebastian was surprised to see the expression, his Young Master rarely showed emotion, especially tender ones.

As the young demon squirmed under Sebastian's hold on him, the elder released him, thoughts turned inward, marvelling at the changes in his master. From the fragile child making a contract in search of vengeance, to a wonderful juvenile demon; forever at his side. True, at first the idea of being bound to one being eternally with no soul to consume at the end of the stretch of obedience had been intolerable. But Sebastian was now unable to even contemplate how his existence would be were Ciel to no longer be there with him.

"Stop her!" the owner's voice dragged Sebastian away from his musings. He cast about curiously for the girl the man was referring to when he realised it was Ciel. The boy in female dress had climbed nimbly over the stable door and was crossing the deep hay slowly as he approached the foal. Sebastian blanched at the sight of the vicious pointed teeth being bared in his Young Master's direction. However, the foal looked so weak and Ciel could easily out manoeuvre it.

"She won't harm it. She's just never seen a foal before." He tried to soothe the distraught man.

"No, that's not the problem!" the male said, wringing his hands at the sight of the petite blonde drawing ever closer to the baby horse. "That foal...it has refused to feed. It is starving and your daughter would make the idea first kill for it. It's feral. Won't accept contact from anyone, the mother cannot convince it to feed. You must stop her!" The owner was now focussed, pleadingly, on Sebastian whose eyes were still following Ciel.

"Uh...Feral?" he asked slowly.

"Yes!" the man was beyond himself in concern and swung around, prepared to snatch the little girl out of harm's way himself.

Ciel sat in the tickly hay, kneeling really, one hand idly teasing out tangles and stray pieces of hay from the foal's birth curled mane. The little horse had manoeuvred to lay its head in the child's skirts. Its dull purple eyes were flickering, drifting slowly to the closed position as it finally relaxed. Ciel watched with an expression that indicated how besotted he was with the foal as its delicate nostrils flared. Both adult males watched with something akin to adoration as the 'girl child' turned her gaze towards them.

"You said the poor thing hasn't eaten?" he asked. The man shook his head. "What has been attempted?"

"The same as all the rest eat. The best of fresh meat." The owner said defensively. The girl bit her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"What do you do with the offal, the hearts and livers?" she asked. The man wrinkled his nose.

"Dispose of them of course." He chuckled nervously at the intense glare he received from the child.

"Papa, please go and collect a small bucket of finely chopped hearts and livers. And bring a live chicken...or rabbit...or something?" Ciel fluttered his eyelashes at the owner. "Would you go with my dear papa?" he asked sweetly and received a vapid nod before both adults left.

* * *

The owner looked absolutely disgusted. The beautiful little girl had fatally injured the squirming rabbit and had then proceeded to rip into its soft flesh with her teeth. The father did not look at all fazed. "Did you not just feed her?" he asked.

"Oh yes, but she isn't feeding on the rabbit. She is feeding it to the foal." Sebastian said, carefully keeping the relief from his voice. Yes, he was pleased to have Ciel a demon, but watching his young master devour a live rabbit was a step away from his humanity he did not wish to witness.

Ciel placed the struggling rabbit in the hay right beside the foal's soft muzzle. Velvet nostrils flared and the young creature suddenly whipped its head around, throwing the rabbit down its gullet quicker than the eye could follow. Eyes brightening noticeably, the foal gazed pleadingly at the one who'd fed it something sensible and was rewarded with a mouthful of something warm and slippery which slid down its throat wonderfully.

Both males watched in horror as the child slipped handful after handful of finely chopped offal into the horse's mouth. One swift rap across the nose had stopped the foal from biting down on the hand that fed it. By the time its eyes slid shut in slumber, the foal's little belly was round and taut as a drum. Ciel smiled down at the sated creature and turned to stare at Sebastian.

"I want him." He demanded.

"He isn't trained at all Sweetheart." Sebastian protested.

"You said you grew up on a stud farm." Ciel swallowed a snicker of laughter before continuing. "You can train him, or even better...teach me to train him." Without waiting for further comment he turned to the owner. "Who is his Dam?" he queried.

The owner blinked slowly, still fighting the shock away. He had not even considered trying live food to tempt the stubborn creature. "Ah, that mare you were...The mare from earlier." He said, not sure how to describe the child's interactions with the female horse.

"Perfect." The child lit up with a big smile. "We will take her too." Sebastian frowned but nodded.

"Mare and foal. How much?" he asked and began to barter. The foal was untrained and potentially difficult to handle. He wouldn't be fit for riding for at least a year. Ciel turned back to the foal. As its mother had attracted his attention, so did the little colt. It was as though they were meant to be together.

* * *

**A.N -** So, I've given up with page breaks. Let me know if it makes things difficult to read! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really am sorry that I haven't been able to respond to your reviews. Know that I apreciate every single one of them!


	8. The Mare's Tale

**A.N -** Ok guys, this chapter's filled with changing POV from the horse to my usual. I hope it's clear. This chapter's caused a few problems for me. If there's anything that isn't clear, please let me know and I'll try to explain to you individually, and alter the chapter if needs be! :)

**Disclaimer -** Ciel, Sebastian and co. DO NOT belong to me. And I'm not making any profit from borrowing them to make them dance to my whims!

...**_Claim...er? _-** The mare and her colt are aaaalllll mine! :) They'll be in the story a little less now, but will still pop in to say hi every so often!

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Three days after leaving the stud farm with her new herd, the beautiful dark mare was standing as far from the stables as she could, eyes half lidded as she felt the wind tug teasingly through her mane. She'd been pleased with the herd, it was small but this only meant she had no contest in being herd matriarch. She had the dark haired male demon as her stallion, strong and reliable, as well as two beautiful foals in her own colt and the small demon boy-child. It was delightful to have this new family, to have the wide range of the home to explore. However, the new herd was full of pain and strife even as early as the first morning dawned after their arrival. Her colt, though he'd willingly submitted to being fed by the demon child, was now refusing to eat once more. The mare suspected this had something to do with the lack of delicious live prey scampering about. In fact, even she disdained the meat that her stallion demon had to offer, it was not freshly butchered as at the farm, but more suited to the tastes of humans. Not charred with fire of course, as that would be inedible, but delivered in careful packages, wrapped up and free of all the best parts...the juices and tender pieces. The mare had hoped the stallion would have gone to perhaps purchase a small herd of goats, or cows. Or at least to discuss the delivery of fresher meat. But it swiftly became apparent that the male cared deeply for the demon boy and would not leave the home without him.

Said youngling was too distraught by her foal's disinclination to eat that he refused to leave the foal's side. It was touching, but unnecessary. The foal would learn that he had to eat what he was offered or not at all. The other reason for the strife in the herd was, in fact, the demon child himself. In his melancholy over the foal, the child was refusing to eat also. This had confused the mare at first, demon young did not eat physical food as she and her offspring did. However, it took one long snuffle at the boy's hair to realise that he was part human. Well, that was incorrect because he had all the potential power suppressed within his small frame of a full demon. He couldn't be a half breed. It stood to reason that the child had been human at some stage and in his infancy as a demon, still needed physical sustenance to sustain him. The mare was irritated at the chain of misery in the males. Her colt was just stubborn, refusing to eat, which caused pain and similar stubbornness in the demon child.

Worst of all, this had caused her wonderful, strong and powerful stallion to become a shadow of himself. He was meek and clinging. He followed the boy child around like a shadow and pandered to him. The mare had tried repeatedly to put an end to these behaviours. If the colt would just eat once, the child would willingly leave him for a few short hours. Then he and the older male would go and procure something more appetizing and the vicious cycle would be broken. No one listened to her of course. There was only so much male nonsense a sensible female could take. And so she had ostracised herself. It wasn't as difficult for her as it'd have been for one of her earthly cousins. She did not need the security of the herd. It was more true that they needed her. Only they did not see that just yet. But they would. In time.

* * *

"Please young master, just eat a little. You are becoming so weak, you look like a haunt. You need to feed." Sebastian was all but begging, holding out a tray of assorted sweets to the child who was holding the foal's head in his lap as the small horse slept.

"I don't want mortal food." Came the soft, yet indignant reply. "_You_ don't eat mortal food and I am no more mortal than you are. I don't need it." Ciel's eyes remained focussed on his foal, watching its delicate nostrils flare and its tiny chest rise and fall. He observed with fascination as the pronounced ribs expanded with each inhalation and slowly settled as the warm air left the horse. Such fragility was absurdly beautiful.

"But you..." Ciel artfully cut the older demon off with a question, knowing full well that Sebastian couldn't resist the urge to teach him about his new home.

"Sebastian? How did you buy the horses?" he asked, his attention flickering between his butler and the resting foal. "What does a demon do to earn his coin?" The child indicated that he wanted Sebastian to sit beside him, so the butler did. Ciel sighed as the warmth of the older demon washed over him and he unconsciously leant into that warmth, causing Sebastian to shift slightly. This allowed the raven haired male to support his weakened master with his body as well as enfold him in his natural body heat. To distract from his tender actions, Sebastian took on the role of tutor.

"Though it looks like coin, we really trade in power. Coin is just simple to keep and quantify. Easily recognisable. It's convenient. We used to use severed pieces of various beings anatomy. Feet and paws and ears. Skulls were once common as well. Different sizes to indicate different amounts. Feathers...they were popular for a while, but so easily lost or damaged. Coins work best."

Ciel looked interested and equally baffled.

"Demon kind is split up into classes of being. These are our creature forms. Avians, reptilians, mammals and the rare aquatic demons. Within these classes, the predators have higher standing against the prey. Those with the form of a bat, cat or black coloured bird are very often highly thought of. It's more of an aesthetic thing than anything else. Brightly coloured creature forms are thought to be unappealing. Unless they are venomous.

"Apart from these classes, we belong in certain ranks which will occasionally alter. In the coins, this rank is indicated by colour. The original owner of the coin denotes its colour. There are seven ranks. The highest is black. There are few of these coins in circulation and this makes them the strongest, since they belonged originally to the strongest demons, and are the most sought after.

"The ranks in descending order are black, red, violet, blue, green, brown and grey. If a demon hoards a coin for long enough, he drains it of its power, feeding from it as you do the atmosphere of demon homes. If the coin is a higher rank colour than the demon possesses, he will drain it to his own colour, it will show this alteration. If it is lower than his rank, he will drain it of power until it disintegrates.

"When a demon earns a coin it takes on the colour of his rank and the image of his class on one side. The opposing side shows his crest, all demons have one; mine is evident in our contract. When the coin is traded the colouring and the class image remains, but the crest will alter to that of the new owner. This ensures that coin can be tracked if stolen in the same way that I can always find you.

"If a demon has a child under his...or her...care, the crest on the coin turns golden and remains so until the child reaches maturity. If the coin is traded within this time, the next owner's crest turns silver. It's added power to have a child."

Ciel listened intently, opening his mouth to ask about how coin was earned when Sebastian smiled and continued.

"The administrators deal with our currency. Each demon earns an allowance due to his rank. Each rank has a range of income which is determined in accordance to a demons class. A violet ranking wolf demon will earn considerably more than a grey ranking wolf demon. We earn money by corrupting the lives of mortals." Sebastian smirked at Ciel's shocked expression.

"Though we all go to earth to feed, we are also expected to encourage sin, to spread disease and cause pain. Emotional pain is more satisfying than physical pain. We also make deals with mortals in the name of our Lord. 'A deal with the devil' is different from a contract, since this deal results in the mortal becoming one of the tortured, after being devoured by our Lord first of course."

Ciel frowned. "You mean Satan, right?" he asked. Sebastian nodded, chuckling.

"He doesn't go by that name anymore, but yes, that is who I mean. We just call him the Lord of Hell. Saying one of his many names can draw unwanted attention. Oh, I mentioned a demon hoarding coin would draw its power. Unless he needs the additional power for some kind of battle or perhaps to court a mate, a demon will generally attempt to trade his coin before he can drain its power. The higher the rank colour and class, the more power the coin contains and the more it is worth. So a red coin will buy more than a blue coin will."

"You had a lot of red coins when you bought the horses..." Ciel ventured.

"Mmmhm. I am a red ranked demon. My great grandfather was a descended angel..."

"Don't you mean fallen angel?" Ciel asked curiously.

"No. The fallen tend to rank between black and blue depending on their original angelic status. There are more of the lower ranked fallen since the lower ranked angels tend to resent their place in heaven. They have more menial tasks to take care of and usually end up refusing to obey and are thrown out. A descended angel chooses to leave heaven, so even as an angel of low standing, he becomes a red ranked demon. And, of course, angels with higher status become black ranked demons. My great grandfather found heaven boring; he didn't like the rules or his job. So he left." Sebastian grinned. "And you, Young Master, are a violet ranked demon. It's visible in your aura, the power you carry with you. And you won't find out your class until you reach adolescence."

* * *

The mare snorted softly when she entered the stable. Her herd was all lined up, perfectly still like statues. The stallion enfolded his young colt in the strong frame of his body, seeming to wrap around him as the child's head lolled back against his chest. The child's legs were folded awkwardly to allow the foal to rest its head in his lap. They were all dozing, though three sets of eyes opened at the sound of gentle hoof beats in the deep hay. The mare shoved a basket she'd found outside the house into the elder demon's face. He'd set it there that morning, wrapped meat for the colt and scones and jam and cream for the child. The black haired male took the basket but looked from it to the mare dubiously. She let out a long suffering sigh – males were so useless! – and shoved her nose against his arm, causing a chain reaction of slight motion along her herd. Pulling her lips back from her teeth in a half-smile, half-aggressive glower, the mare urged her two foals to eat. Slowly, and seemingly reluctant, the stallion demon joined in with the mare.

* * *

"Young Master, you really should eat." The slate haired demon child narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps if he sees you eating, the foal will decide to eat something himself?" Sebastian tried a different motivation. Ciel huffed.

"Sebastian, leave me alone! I don't _want_ to eat anything. If you're so interested in food, why don't you go and eat?" Sebastian frowned, frustrated with his master's childishness.

"I..." Ciel scowled.

"Go and feed Sebastian."

"I don't want..." The boy's eyes lit up with a malicious gleam.

"Sebastian. Go to the mortal world and feed. That is an _order_." He hissed the final word and appeared to take a vindictive pleasure in the slight tensing of Sebastian's shoulders before he bowed his head and spoke the familiar words.

"Yes my Lord."

* * *

Were he to be completely honest, Ciel was uncomfortably hungry. But his worry about the foal combined with the confusion of his feelings and reactions towards Sebastian was making the thought of mortal food sickening. He did wonder whether this disdain of physical food was simply a subconscious ploy to get Sebastian to feed him again as he had at the Stud Farm. Whatever the reason, Ciel wished that he could force himself to eat a little, both to curtail the discomfort in his abdomen and to erase the expression of sadness and frustration on his butler's face. It kind of made Ciel's insides feel...squelchy? He couldn't even word it properly. He felt guilty about hurting his butler, his innards coiled and squeezed and made his heart contract painfully.

The boy sighed sorrowfully as he ran slender fingers through his foal's mane. His contemplations never led to any epiphany. Just to more squelchy guiltiness. It was useless. You'd have thought that becoming an upper class, immortal demon that you'd lose all bad feelings; you wouldn't care if you hurt someone...right? Even if you _do_ like them more than is really advisable. But then again, liking someone is also something you wouldn't expect of a demon...They're supposed to revel in sin and enjoy other people's pain, not fall in love.

Ciel froze at that thought. Fall in love? That couldn't be what he was experiencing. There was no way that he was in _love_ with Sebastian. A man. Admittedly a very handsome, gentle, caring man, but a man none the less. It didn't matter that he liked it when Sebastian had held his hand at the stud farm, or how much he craved leaving their home just so that Sebastian would have to feed him, or how, when they'd been sitting together earlier, he'd just kind of melted back into Sebastian's strong chest and...

The boy gulped. The answer had been staring him right in the face almost since they'd moved into their new home. "I'm in love...with...Sebastian?"

"Yes my Lord?"

Ciel's head whipped around so fast that his hair hit his face with stinging force. It was so amusing to see the almost frightened look in his wide blue eyes and to guess at what he'd been doing or thinking to have such an expression on his pink tinged face that Sebastian dropped the coldness in his voice and offered a small smile. Ciel looked uncomfortable.

"Uh...h-how long were you st-standing there?" he stammered. Sebastian looked confused as he tried to figure out what the boy had been doing to suddenly behave so out of character. Perhaps he was upset about something, or maybe he really did want to eat something and was feeling shy about it?

"I just came in young master. Now, would you lik..." Something flashed across Ciel's expression, a fleeting insecurity and then a bizarre determination.

"Sebastian. Would you...please...call me by my name? I don't. I don't want to be 'Young Master' and 'Lord' forever..." The butler looked down at his small master with a slightly shocked expression, but after taking in the uncomfortable posture, downcast eyes and flushed cheeks of the boy, he knelt down before him and spoke very solemnly.

"Of course, Ciel." The stillness that overcame the boy was concerning, his breathing became frighteningly shallow and he appeared to tremble a little. Sebastian was desperately trying to figure out a course of action when he noticed the tips of the boy's ears turning an alarming shade of red. With a small smirk he left the stable briefly and returned with two boxes tied with string. "Before returning home, I took the liberty of purchasing something a little more appetising for the colt." Sebastian said, expertly balancing the boxes and untying one to reveal a juicy selection of meats and a number of small slivers of heart and liver. Ciel didn't react, but once the box was placed nearby the foal, it swiftly clambered onto wobbly legs and began to devour the contents. The boy seemed to relax at the sight of the foal feeding.

"Ciel, are you hungry?" Sebastian's voice was low and warm. The child stilled once more, keeping his face averted from the dark haired demon but slowly nodded his head. "I also purchased a small selection of fresh pastries." Sebastian said, kneeling beside his Young Master before starting to open the second box.

"I told you, I don't want to eat mortal food." Ciel said quietly, an undercurrent of anger and discomfort in his voice.

"But you need the additional sustenance. You're growing weaker by the day." Sebastian paused briefly and sighed. "Ciel. I am worried about you. Please, eat something...anything." The demon's tone betrayed the intensity of his distress. Ciel slowly turned to meet his gaze, cheeks still slightly pink.

"You just want me to eat something...anything I want?" The boy asked a slight tinge to his voice which almost sounded sly.

"Yes. I'll prepare anything you want." The demon agreed readily.

"Oh, don't worry. This won't require much preparation at all." A grin stole over Ciel's face, all anticipation and nervousness as he scotched away from the feeding foal and knelt facing Sebastian, their knees touching.

* * *

The mare took a step into the stable and halted. She'd been attempting to coax her stubborn herd into obedience all day, and now they were doing it all on their own. Males were so impossible!

Her colt was passed out, flopped to one side with his distended stomach proudly bulging as his ribs expanded and contracted with each breath. The mare found herself dearly wanting to go and groom her offspring as he slept, but her way was blocked by the other two members of her herd. She watched them with a kind of curious amusement. The little male reached forward to twine his arms about the startled stallion's neck. Soft pouty lips parted as some short whispered command slipped through into the shell of the elder demon's ear. And then two pairs of lips connected. The demon child was urgent and demanding, confusing the mare. Although she knew that he was hungry, she could also read from his body language that this was not a demand for food, but more of a demand for affection.

The mare let out a silent, satisfied sigh. The tension between the two demon members of her herd had been upsetting, it was one of the reasons she suspected her colt would not feed. The stallion cared deeply for his blue haired foal, but the foal was too young to notice. Combined with the fact that his own feelings towards the elder demon were confusing and new, the poor youngling hadn't really stood much of a chance. However, the child had apparently managed to figure something out on his own. It was good, the mare had not been sure of her ability to educate the young one in the ways of mating and living as a herd rather than as an individual with a carer. She stood quietly, waiting patiently for the tangled males to part so that she could avoid interrupting them as she crossed over to her colt.

* * *

Ciel had initiated the kiss. This time it wasn't about feeding, he'd wanted to experience the feelings he'd been too hunger-dazed to properly appreciate previously. It was true that he was hungry, but a part of him knew that it really was for mortal food. A little extra sustenance from a soul would accelerate his recovery, but he didn't really need it. But what he did need was to decide for certain whether or not he truly felt love for Sebastian. He hadn't experienced this kind of romantic love before. He'd loved his parents and Lizzy...even Madame Red. But all as family members, an unconditional, almost instinctive kind of love.

In comparison, he was positive that he hadn't always loved Sebastian. At times he'd hated him, at others he had felt a familial kind of love for the demon who'd raised and cared for him. But as he'd grown older, he'd been aware of certain shifts in his affections towards the man. And now, it really did appear he'd quite unexpectedly fallen in love, with a demon who technically owned his soul.

Ciel sighed into the kiss, accepting the intrusion of Sebastian's tongue into his mouth. It was exhilarating, but he also felt anxious. Sebastian was behaving as he always did when feeding him. It was suddenly not enough to have identified his feelings towards Sebastian; he wished to know how his companion felt towards him. This was all new to Ciel. He understood what it took to be a good husband, but never even in his wildest imaginations had he considered himself bound to a man. Could men even...he knew that it was wrong, but it didn't feel wrong right now. He hadn't been disgusted by their lips touching, just confused the first time, and slightly scared. Was it ok to love a man? Could a relationship between himself and Sebastian work? After all, the man was his butler; there was no changing that, it was forever to be a part of their contract.

The boy pulled away from his butler slowly, leaving his arms around his neck but averting his eyes. "You tasted sweet, like apples and cinnamon today." He said softly, almost accusingly. Sebastian chuckled lightly.

"I'll admit that I had anticipated this being the only course of action open to me. I didn't expect you to be so...complaint however." Liquid blue eyes slowly rose to meet the familiar and comforting red of Sebastian's.

"Sebastian...What do you feel towards me?" the child asked slowly. Sebastian met his gaze solemnly.

"You are my Master, My Lord." He said, deep voice reverberating around the stable as Ciel drew back and regained his feet.

"Ah, thank you." His face was cold and still. "I appear to have regained my appetite. I will eat one of the pastries you purchased earlier. Then I will retire to bed. I won't be needing your assistance any further today. Please ensure the horses are comfortable."

Sebastian watched the small child collect the white box of confections and slowly leave the stable, giving the mare a pat on the neck as he left. The female horse blew softly into the child's hair and entered the stable, pausing only to direct one intense eye exuding disgust in Sebastian's direction and to slowly shake her head.

As she'd said before. Males were utterly impossible.

* * *

**A.N -** I think this is my longest chapter yet, and it's really not that exciting. So, I'm sorry. I hope I haven't bored and/or confused you. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter. The new layout for REALLY confuses me right now, I'm sorry for limited review responses. Please know I appreciate them all but have been having problems with replying to them. I think I'm getting the hang of it and should reply to all future reviews!

**_Dreamy_ xxx**


	9. It Never Rains

**A.N –** Seriously guys, you made me cry. Actual little tears of happiness. I love you so much! I posted before going to bed and woke up to 8 reviews! And they all were lovely and some even made suggestions, I'm so happy right now! So, I started chapter 9 right away!

**Disclaimer – **I don't own Kuroshitsuji or anything contained within its universe. I kind of wish I had Sebastian though. Because, come on, he is rather scrumptious!

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**Methods of Entertainment**

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'_You are my Master, My Lord'. _The words ran around and around in Ciel's head. His body was craving the sugary sweetness of the orange mint chocolate biscuits and strawberry tart, but the uncomfortable lump in his throat, and the words in his head, turned the first bite to ash in his mouth. It made the child's stomach convulse and he tried to empty it into his chamber pot, only to remember that he hadn't digested anything for the last few days and didn't have anything to expel. That sensation was even worse than the need to vomit. However, it did ensure that almost unbearable pain in his chest was now matched by the cramps in his stomach.

'..._my Master_'. Ciel felt foolish, how could he have expected Sebastian to feel anything more than a sort of...fatherly, or brotherly affection towards him. He was his butler, and thanks to Hannah, he would always be Ciel's butler. That was how the contract worked. The most galling part of that was the fact that Ciel himself had given the order. For Sebastian to be his butler, until he had entirely consumed his soul. Now he was faced with the problem of not wanting Sebastian to care for him because it was his duty, but to do so because he cherished Ciel as a person. It was rather frustrating that of all the people he could have had as his first love, it had to be Sebastian. The demon was proud of being 'One Hell of a Butler'.

That thought made Ciel pause. If Sebastian had to follow his orders, could he not simply order him to...love him? He craved that feeling, it was as though his reawakening, combined with the fact he'd revenged his parents and his own pain, allowed the suppressed child in him to show. He'd had to grow up quickly in order to take his father's place as Earl and Queen's watchdog. But, that did not mean that he didn't desire the warmth and comfort children did. He was still a child, even more so now as a demon. Was it wrong of him to want comfort and love from someone he cared for? Was he a fool for wanting this of Sebastian? Considering their ranks, did Sebastian resent serving one who was supposed to be below him? He even took the form of a raven; he'd said that black birds were thought of highly, Ciel did not know his demonic form yet. He would like to free Sebastian, but their contract was not one he could break. And he couldn't face the idea of Sebastian being pleased to no longer have to take care of him. It was bad enough already.

'_My Lord_', Sebastian had even chosen to not use Ciel's name, as he'd asked him to. Was this purposeful? A way to show that he didn't think of Ciel as anything more than a Master, or was it habit? If he ordered his butler to love him, would it be the same...the same kind of love that Ciel felt for Sebastian or a mockery of it?

Ciel let out a low sound, between a moan and a whine, as he pressed his palms to wet eyes and wiped the dampness from his cheeks. He felt pathetic, he'd only just figured out how he felt about Sebastian, and one six word sentence later, he felt like his heart was shattering. What was he? A girl? Surely it was only overly romantic girls who thought that someone they loved could break their heart. Ciel snorted, ignoring how fresh tears were winding their way down his cheeks again, and readied himself slowly for bed. The box of sweet things was left open on the small round table by his window. All he wanted was for this to have been some cruel trick. He wanted to wake up and feel as he always had. That Sebastian was his butler, and that was all, no more thoughts about his soft lips and strong muscles. No more thinking about how warm it was in his arms or how nice it felt to have Sebastian's tongue in his mouth. Yes, that was disgusting and surely unhygienic, not pleasurable at all...he had to remember that, not be beguiled by his body's bizarre cravings. Everything would surely be back to normal, so long as he went to sleep right now.

* * *

Sebastian struggled to restrain from glaring at the mare. He knew that in her mind, she was dominant. It would be easier to establish that he was the leader of this 'herd' over time rather than to fight with her. Obviously he'd done something to displease the stubborn mare if the vicious stare she'd levelled him with upon entering the stable, and had refused to drop, was anything to go by. She snarled at him when he tried to groom her of the mud and plant life she'd picked up over the course of the day. And when he'd tried to check on the foal, she'd snapped at him warningly. With a grunt the demon filled the manger with an assortment of fresh meat and organs, making a mental note to purchase some rabbits or perhaps some chickens as he laid a simple charm over the food to keep it from going bad.

Satisfied that all he could do to make certain the horses were comfortable had been done; Sebastian left the stables and walked slowly up the hill to the rowan tree. Taking a seat on the swing he let out a slow exhale, red eyes focused on his Young Master's bedroom window. Ciel was confusing him. All the sudden questions and demands, the fleeting hurt expression when he'd responded that Ciel was his Master...It didn't make any sense. He was glad that the child had accepted the method of feeding; it was after all not _that_ different to a mortal human breast feeding. It was programmed into every demon to feed a hungry demon-child, which Sebastian was pleased about. He'd spent so long amongst humans over the most recent decades that if his instincts did not kick in, he would certainly view feeding Ciel as kissing him.

Setting the swinging seat to rocking, Sebastian closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. His Master was behaving unusually. Since they had first gone on an outing, the child had been different. It was expected that he alter from his human self slightly, but there was a vast difference from his coldness to this inquisitive child. That hurt expression flashing across Ciel's face before it went cold was troubling Sebastian more than anything. He couldn't discern what answer the boy had wanted, he'd answered with a knee-jerk reaction. He had obviously hurt his Young Master, but he couldn't fathom why his words had that effect.

The raven haired demon tilted his head back, a part of his consciousness working on identifying the low rumbling sound that was just on the edge of his hearing. As he became more aware of the sound and realised that it was thunder, the skies cracked with a zigzag of light and rain poured down upon his upturned face. Sebastian scrunched up his nose in distaste and concern. A demon's home didn't have weather exactly. The general idea was that it would rain in the early hours of the morning and then be pleasantly warm throughout the rest of the day with a breeze at the hottest part of the day. With a little practice, a demon could shape the weather to his own preferences, but Sebastian hadn't taught Ciel how to do that yet. The sudden deluge of rain indicated something was causing Ciel a great deal of anguish. He considered briefly the possibility that it was caused by his comment earlier, but he couldn't see that this much pain would be triggered by such a simple response.

Leaping from the chair, Sebastian ran into the house and up the stairs to his Master's chamber. No comment could hurt someone that much unless a great deal of emotion was involved. And Ciel couldn't possibly have invested such large amounts of emotion in him; he wasn't family or a dear friend in whom he shared his secrets. The only other option would be love. Ciel didn't love him...surely. No, something must be terribly wrong, his Master was in trouble.

* * *

Ciel had curled up into a tight ball in the centre of his bed, blankets all tucked around him like a comforting cocoon. However, no matter how he tried to relax into slumber, his mind tormented him with images of Sebastian. Their kisses were replayed almost as frequently as the words that had struck his heart and shattered it like a mirror. He began to shake with the effort of suppressing the sobs that tried to express his anguish. It hurt, his throat ached and his stomach muscles contracted painfully. In the end it became easier just to let his feelings out, low sobs stifled only by the blankets held over his head warmed the air trapped around him, making it harder and harder to breathe. He figured that if he let his feelings out, he'd be drained enough to sleep. And since he'd told Sebastian that he didn't need him any further, there was no chance of the demon walking in on him in such a humiliating, vulnerable position.

As tears flooded down his face making his cheeks feel hot and prickly, Ciel muttered to himself between low moaning sobs. He couldn't even begin to voice the torment he felt, it was worse – in a way – than losing his parents, but perhaps time had dulled even the memory of that pain. He felt almost cruel for thinking a simple rejection from Sebastian was more painful than the murder of his family, but a part of him retaliated. Sebastian had technically taken on the role of his parents, washing and feeding him gently like a mother, teaching and reprimanding him like a father. Was this honestly love he felt for the demon then? Or was it purely the affection he assumed one bestowed upon a parental figure.

"But I like it." Ciel choked out, heaving in a loud breath before continuing, "When he kisses me." His body trembled with fatigue, mouth gaping open for air, crying was more exhausting than he'd expected. But he felt pathetic for succumbing to such a childish display. All those terrible things he'd witnessed...he thought they'd drained him of tears. Nothing he'd seen since had really garnered much of a reaction. '_You are my Master, my lord._' Until today. He really _was_ foolish and weak, to be so affected by so few words spoken without even a hint of malice.

* * *

Sebastian entered his Master's room with more silence than an owl on the hunt. He stuck to the shadows, moving so smoothly that whoever was harming the small demon child wouldn't even be attracted to the movement. Muted red eyes glared around the room, to find it empty. Sebastian frowned, something was causing Ciel a great deal of pain, but there was nothing there. His eyes took in the quivering lump curled beneath the blankets of the big bed. What could cause such pain as to affect the weather of his home? Demons didn't tend to become ill, so that couldn't be it...and Ciel hadn't shown any signs of ailment earlier. The foal had eaten, so it couldn't be growing concern over that. Sebastian was confused by the child. The sound of the rain and thunder was muted, and completely ignored by the bundle of blankets in the centre of the bed. Feeling it would be best to attempt to soothe his Master, Sebastian became aware of a sound that had been smothered by the rain, but grew noticeable as he took a few steps towards the bed.

Ciel was crying. This fact alone made the demon freeze in place. Since their contract had been made, Sebastian couldn't recall a time he had witnessed his small Master cry. And now, he was sobbing, great heaving inhales broke up the shuddering exhales. And scattered intermittently came shaking words, filled with pain and confusion. "Se...Sebastian." The one whose name was spoken startled, straightening into his usual 'butler awaiting an order' pose. Before he could contemplate how the child had known he was there, more choked words reached his ears.

"_Why~?_" Ciel wailed, causing red eyes to open wide. "_All I wanted..._" the words became muffled, as though the speaker was covering his mouth in an attempt to quieten himself. A huge indrawn breath followed a few moments later before more words became audible. "_Even if he'd...looked confused._" Sebastian drew back from the bed, slow and silent, eyes wide with realisation. "_Why must he hate me?_" Ciel whimpered, his voice betraying his exhaustion. "_He doesn't need to ..._" a huge yawn masked the next few words, "_...just to like me, that'd be enough._" With a slight hiccup of sound, Ciel stilled beneath his blankets, breathing evened out into slumber. The child had clearly worn himself out. Sebastian, eyes still wide and almost panicked, slipped from the room like a gentle summer's breeze, silently closing the door behind him before heading down to his infrequently used bedroom.

* * *

It was his fault. He was the cause of his Master's anguish. He had made Ciel cry, had caused him such pain that it had made it rain...no, he'd made it storm. That strong little boy who'd witnessed the death of his family members, dealt with numerous threats to his own life and not even batted an eyelash, his brave Master...reduced to such soul shattering sobs...by him. Sebastian's eyes were glazed over with the shock of it. He couldn't think of a single circumstance...not even one thing that he'd done that could possibly have been so hurtful to the child. The demon noted that the rain was dying down now that Ciel was sleeping peacefully, but his mind was turned inward. What had he done! And why did it hurt so much to think he'd caused his Master pain?

By the time the demon had slipped into his night clothes and climbed beneath his blankets, he still had not come up with an answer to any of his questions. He hadn't been spiteful or cruel; he had admittedly tried to convince his Master to eat repeatedly, but only out of concern. And, he'd left him to feed, but he hadn't wanted to. He'd only done so because he'd been ordered to. He couldn't conceive how he could have hurt Ciel so much without even noticing. The child had given no clues, no scathing words or pointed glares that would indicate what he'd been displeased about. He'd been so quiet recently. Perhaps Sebastian hadn't been attentive enough. It was true that the child had been more...inclined towards physical contact than usual.

But was that a sign of his being distraught, or was it simply caused by his becoming a demon? Demon children aged differently than humans and depended on their carers a great deal more as well. This would be unusual from a mortal viewpoint because a demon child was physically strong enough to survive alone within a moon of its birth. But closeness to its carers was important, they needed to feed much more frequently than an adult, and all demons were programmed to care for a lone demon youngling. And the children themselves instinctively sought out someone to care for them. A well cared for child, with close bonds with its carers, was independent and frequently got up to mischief. But one who had been lost or abandoned tended to be clingy, subconsciously attempting to stay as close to a source of food and protection as possible.

Ciel had been orphaned. Perhaps...he needed more coddling than he would have allowed as a human. Was Sebastian providing inadequate care? He thought back to his Master's muffled words. Most of it seemed to indicate that Sebastian had been too distant, had caused the child to feel unwanted and even hated. But other parts confused him. Ciel had said something about being happy with Sebastian 'just liking him'. What more would the child desire? Frowning, Sebastian focussed, there'd been something else. Something that indicated the trigger to this outburst of pain.

'_Even if he'd...looked confused._'

Confused, about what? What had happened before Ciel retired to his room, perhaps there would be a clue there? He'd taken the box of treats...and not eaten more than a bite, Sebastian had noticed. Before that...He'd fed the foal and then Ciel had demanded food from Sebastian. Following that, he'd asked a question and then left. The butler pursed his lips thoughtfully. The problem couldn't have been in the feeding, Ciel seemed to have become comfortable with it now. And the question, had been so simple that he'd answered without a thought, it hadn't required any processing...and now he needed to remember what it had been, but couldn't.

"Perhaps my response..." Sebastian mused, casting his mind back to attempt recollection of his words.

'_You are my Master, My Lord'. _The demon frowned. There was nothing there, nothing to indicate what had upset Ciel to snapping point. Suddenly deciding that he did not want to sleep, the butler slid out of bed and carefully dressed again, choosing from his identical clothing carefully and adding small embellishments such as his pocket watch and a white rose in his button hole. He would show his Master that he did indeed like him. He would be more attentive, try to be closer to the child, prove to him that he would be there, always. He set about his tasks, cleaning and preparing a special breakfast. But he couldn't help but notice, as he took care of these mundane tasks; that every time he thought back to the last day, a small sensation panged in his chest.

When he contemplated it, the sensation went away. But if he happened to think of his response to the question he couldn't remember, and thought on his Master's words as he sobbed, his chest tightened. It wasn't painful exactly, but troublesome and uncomfortable. Sometimes he'd find himself concerned when the sensation arose. And others he'd notice his face stretched with a wide smile. It was all very puzzling. But as breakfast time approached the butler paused to check his appearance, smiled at his reflection and took the morning meal to his Master's bedroom. He knocked before entering, arranged everything as it should be, opened the curtains and turned to his Master's bed.

The sight of the child splayed out across the bed, blearily opening his eyes was accompanied with that bizarre sensation in his chest. Ignoring it for the moment, Sebastian carried over a cup of freshly brewed tea to his Master and smiled.

"Good morning, Ciel."

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**A.N** – I have written this as swiftly as possible...because, you guys have made me super happy! I've passed (for the very first time!) the 50 review mark! I was so pleased with my reviews (which I promise to reply to!) that this chapter just flowed out naturally!

Thank you SO MUCH!

I hope this is ok. I know it's not got the yaoi-ness many are hoping for. I'm not very confident with anything remotely smutty, so please bear with me. I might try, but it'll be a while yet, and will likely be hopeless lol. I'm more of a fluff writer. Even writing the kissing makes me feel SLIGHTLY uncomfortable. Haha.

I hope it's ok that our two favourite demons are taking a long time to figure everything out. I want to knock their heads together, but I think it's best they come to terms with their feelings at their own pace. I might nudge them to hurry it up a little though!

I really hope you like this chapter as much as you seem to have enjoyed the last one. Seriously, the fact that you take the time to let me know what you enjoyed and think should happen next makes me so happy. I really DID cry a little bit when I saw how many reviews I got! It's a great pick-me-up when I'm feeling rotten with tummy aches!

Sorry for the long A.N, I just had to express my love for you all!

_**Dreamy **_**xxx**


	10. Riding Lessons

**A.N – **I know this is awfully late. I'll say "sorry" and let you get on with reading!

**Disclaimer** **–** Sebastian and Ciel, in all of their infuriating adorable-ness, do not belong to me!

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**Methods of Entertainment**

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Bright blue eyes widened at the use of his name as Ciel accepted the cup and saucer from his butler. A part of him bristled, wanting to tell the infuriating man to forget his last order, that he wanted him to resume calling him Young Master. A much larger part of the boy rallied against the grumpy part and was dancing happily at the wonderful tingles that tickled down his spine at the sound of his name spoken in Sebastian's velvet voice. He couldn't help but smile at his butler, especially since he was currently wearing the cat ears Ciel had made him. Was it wrong to think it was adorably cute? The child took a sip of his tea and sighed happily at the flavour, it seemed that today he would be able to stomach mortal food. "Good morning, Sebastian. What is our schedule for today?" the boy winced internally at his use of the word 'our', before it had always been _his_ schedule. This infatuation with his butler was more trouble than it was worth! Sebastian's smile widened slightly at the small blush on his Master's cheeks.

"Well, first there is breakfast; then I thought that you might like to bathe before visiting your foal and making sure he eats _his_ breakfast. And then, perhaps I could start teaching you how to ride?" Ciel pondered this for a moment, drinking delicately from his tea, savouring the taste.

"I can't." He finally said quite simply. Sebastian raised a finely shaped eyebrow in question.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, clearly uncertain of which aspect of the schedule his Master 'couldn't' carry out.

"Learn to ride, that is. My horse is too small. And he must be weakened from his fast." Ciel explained as he crossed the room on bare feet to take a seat at the breakfast table in his room. Sebastian had outdone himself with the vast array of his favourite breakfast foods, probably in an attempt to goad his appetite into returning. The boy wasn't about to complain and began to sample each option, humming in appreciation as he went.

Standing to his left and slightly behind his Master, Sebastian smiled, pleased to witness Ciel's usual sweet tooth returning with full force. However, he was quite baffled by the answer he'd been given.

"Forgive me for not understanding My Lord..." He watched with a quietly confused expression as Ciel's shoulders momentarily tensed at the honorific. "But I had assumed that was the reason you had me purchase the mare as well."

Ciel turned in his seat to regard his butler as he nibbled on a fruit scone. Once he'd sampled it and licked a stray crumb from his lower lip, he tilted his head slightly to one side.

"Oh, did I not tell you? The mare is your horse, not mine." He briefly intoned before turning back to his meal. Sebastian was flabbergasted. Never in his existence had a master considered him in such a manner, he was very touched by Ciel's thoughtfulness. And even more so by the fact the child didn't seem to realise how unique a gesture he'd made. He remained silent for a moment, watching his small master happily munch away on the food he'd prepared before he decided that he could not bear to make no comment.

Moving to kneel beside the young demon's chair, he gazed into startled blue eyes. "My Lord..." Once again the child tensed, causing a wave of confusion to engulf the butler. Inquisitively he continued without missing a beat, altering his address slightly. "Ciel. You purchased the mare for me?" he questioned, red eyes taking in the fact that his master had blushed slightly and relaxed visibly when his name was spoken. It was quite cute. Nonchalantly the child took another bite from his breakfast and consumed it thoroughly before responding.

"Did I not just say that?" Ciel said, a small frown creasing his brow as he looked away from Sebastian. He was desperately trying to appear at ease, but his butler's sudden close proximity was making his heart pound uncomfortably in his throat. "She is yours. You match..." Ciel hadn't meant to let that part of his reasoning slip, and knew he'd made a mistake in doing so. From his peripheral vision he spotted a sly smirk steal over Sebastian's face and the infuriating man leant closer still, lips all but brushing against the shell of Ciel's ear. The child clenched his hands into fists, furiously quashing the sudden shiver his body wished to execute.

"Oh, I think you may have to enlighten me _Ciel_." Sebastian grinned wickedly as the child trembled, whether from the use of his name or the way Sebastian's breath was tickling his ear, the butler did not know. "How does this horse resemble me?" A swiftly indrawn breath was all the answer he received at first. And then his Young Master spoke in a disinterested tone.

"I never said that you..."

"Now now, Young Master. Do not attempt to lie to me. It is only a simple question after all." Ciel wriggled slightly, in an attempt to distance himself from the raven haired man. The butler just smirked and leant even closer, lips actually making contact with the child's ear. Piercing blue eyes scrunched shut and a shuddering breath escaped the boy's lips. He made an attempt to respond but found it difficult to control his power of speech.

"Oh dear, My Lord. Did I not teach you better? It is most improper for a gentleman of your station to mumble in such a manner." The boy tensed and made a low sound of distaste one could only liken to a growl.

"I really don't see why this is necessary..." Before his master could utter a command and ruin his fun and prevent him from satisfying his curiosity, Sebastian cut in. He'd noticed a small pattern in the boy's recent behaviour and was willing to attempt exploiting it.

"Please?" The demon butler asked, entrancing red eyes widening pitifully. Ciel, unable to control the involuntary shiver at the sensation of lips against his ear, made the fatal mistake of turning to face his butler. Sebastian pulled back a minuscule amount causing their noses to brush. Ciel turned red and, as their eyes met and he witnessed the pleading eyes up close, he gulped audibly. "Please Ciel, I would dearly like to know." How could he refuse such a plea, especially when all he could think of was how close Sebastian's lips were and how startlingly beautiful his eyes were?

"She has your colouring, ok? Your animal form is a raven, correct? A bird with black plumage which throws back purple and blue colouring when struck by sunlight. Well, the mare has this particular colour combination. The banding on her legs is striking and her mane shimmers with greens and purples and blues in the light. When I saw her I simply had to have her, because it is as if she were made to fit with you. You will look perfect together." The boy's slight blush from moments previous had grown into a full darkening of his face.

Sebastian was shocked by the admission, but touched none the less. To think that Ciel had thought of him whilst out looking to purchase a horse for himself! "My Lord. I am deeply honoured by your consideration towards me. It would be my pleasure to teach you to ride with my mare until your colt is strong enough to carry you." The boy sat still, not really able to move with Sebastian still so very close to him. He worried that if he _did_ try to move, even if it were to look away as he wanted, he would end up kissing the smiling demon. And though Sebastian had resumed using his name, Ciel could not shake '_You are my Master, my Lord_' from his mind. So, he remained uncomfortably close, willing his body to behave. Then he jumped slightly as he registered his butler's final words.

"I...I can't!" he protested, eyes widening as Sebastian frowned a little and moved back an inch or two.

"And why not? If the mare is truly mine, then surely I can let whomever I want ride her?" Deeming it now safe to do so, Ciel bowed his head, allowing his hair to shield his eyes from view.

"Would you put a novice rider on a stallion?" he asked softly. Sebastian tilted his head.

"I really don't think that is the problem here my Lord. And do you really think I would allow any harm to befall you?" Ciel let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine. But I should like to bathe first." He said, shifting as if to stand but found his path of movement blocked by his butler.

"You haven't yet told me what troubles you, Ciel." The boy ground his teeth together. How was it that someone able to realise the effect of speaking his name aloud within mere seconds was utterly incapable of noticing how Ciel felt for him?

"I am too small. I won't be able to reach the stirrups. The mare is so much taller than I. How am I supposed to remain in the saddle if I have no method of keeping my seat?" Ciel was humiliated to have to admit to his small stature and felt angry that Sebastian had forced him to do so. And, of course, the older demon was smiling. But it wasn't his usual amused smirk, it was gentler. Ciel felt confused by such a soft smile, even more so was the responding blossom of warmth in his abdomen.

"Ah, my dear child." That was an unexpected endearment, though Ciel wasn't certain he approved of it, it sounded condescending. "Riding is mainly about balance, you will learn to retain your seat without the use of even a saddle or reins. There is nothing to concern yourself over. I will not let you hurt yourself and the mare is intelligent. She is fond of you and will be careful in her movements so as to not upset your seat." Warm amber eyes glowed with an unexpressed fondness as Sebastian leant forward and chastely planted a reassuring kiss to his Young Master's forehead.

Ciel blinked, startled by such softness coming from his butler. Before he could even begin to question his actions, Sebastian had left the room, chattering about running a bath. Ciel pressed two fingertips to the tingly spot on his skin, smiling at the sensation left behind the kiss. Perhaps Sebastian did care for him. Ciel had never been the most patient of people, but he could try to be patient, for Sebastian. As long as the dark haired man did not hate him, Ciel was sure he could contain his emotions and keep them from Sebastian. And perhaps one day he wouldn't need to. One day the troublesome emotions may be returned in kind.

Sebastian must care for him; it was evident in his reassurance. And in the way which his eyes softened at a kind gesture from Ciel. Though the child was uncertain whether in wearing the cat ears Sebastian was demonstrating that he was fond of him, or whether it was because he was so enamoured by cats. None the less, it made Ciel happy to see the man wearing something he'd crafted - despite how silly (yet oddly cute) they made Sebastian appear. Responding to his butler's call, Ciel bathed and dressed ready for his lesson in riding. His thoughts swirled around Sebastian, but he felt oddly at peace with them for the moment. Only time would tell how he truly felt for Sebastian, and hopefully time would also show his butler's feelings towards him.

* * *

"ARGH! Sebastian! I hate you! You said you wouldn't allow me to be hurt!" One Ciel Phantomhive found himself glowering up at his grinning butler from his position on the sand of the newly built training ring. Within five seconds of the mare trotting he had slipped from her saddle-less back and landed rather heavily on his now aching posterior. Walking had been fine, if a little nerve wracking. After all, he'd been much higher from the ground than he'd been accustomed to.

The mare had initially behaved oddly, stamping one hoof in Sebastian's direction before she spotted Ciel poking his head around his butler's body. Ciel was surprised at the nuzzled greeting he received from the mare and was overjoyed by the eagerness with which the foal consumed his breakfast that Ciel had carried into the stable. Watching intently, Ciel was shown how to slip a halter over the mare's head, how to tie a knot that was secure but swift to release in the case of emergency, he was instructed in how to lead a horse and then carefully assisted onto the mare's back.

With the aid of Sebastian's steadying hand and the mounting block outside the stable, Ciel had easily placed himself atop the mare's back, uncomfortable at the lack of saddle and rein, but pleasantly surprised at the horse's smooth walking gait. The foal had watched them leave, eyes half lidded as he stood gazing out of the open door as if waiting for peace and quiet before resuming his nap.

Sebastian said that riding was mainly a matter of balance. Of course, other things came into play, but if Ciel could stay seated bareback, he would find a saddle was more of a thing to provide the rider comfort than a necessity. He also said that reins were not necessary, a well trained horse would respond to shifts in her rider's weight, a squeeze or a nudge of a leg. Riding was about becoming one with your mount. The boy had smiled at the passion in his butler's voice and had intently remained balanced as the mare followed Sebastian demurely into the training ring.

Everything had been going fine until the man decided that Ciel should now learn to trot. He'd slowly come to grasps with how to direct the mare, he felt that it was mainly down to her intelligence that she figured out where he wanted her to go, and he was fine with sitting way up high as she walked smoothly around the circular fenced area with Sebastian at the centre. Trotting was completely different, all up and down and bouncy and jerking. Ciel hadn't expected the four beat rhythm of her hooves to alter suddenly to a two beat rhythm and the abrupt rising and falling of the mare's body had swiftly caused him to slide from his perch and resulted in his indignant squawk and humiliating position on his bruised rump, not to mention his bruised pride.

* * *

Sebastian was pleased and really rather proud at the apparent ease at which his master took to riding. He looked right sat upon the mare's back; he even swayed with her movements without being instructed to. It was very different to the sack of potatoes he'd expected the child to resemble. However, this aptitude for riding did not extend as far as riding bare-back on a trotting horse. The butler felt slightly bad for having done this to Ciel, especially since he'd assured the boy that he would not allow him to be hurt. He did think it was a necessary part of learning though. Ciel had been riding all on balance; he needed to learn that it was important to grip the horse with his legs to remain seated, to not be afraid to hold onto a handful of mane to stay in place. The sight of the small demon pouting/glaring at him was so amusing that Sebastian could not help but to smile, even though he knew it would make his apology hard to believe. In response to the boy's angry words, Sebastian bowed slightly and offered out a hand to aid his Young Master to his feet.

"My deepest apologies, I was not prepared to catch you." Sebastian managed to school his features into woeful expression. "My Lord, would you allow me to make your injuries better?" He asked, hiding the glint of wickedness behind his hair. Ciel coloured wonderfully, his hands clasping the seat of his trousers as if to protect the bruised flesh hidden beneath.

"Ah. Um, no. That will not be necessary. Help me mount again and this time, instruct me properly!" The small demon's words started off halting with embarrassment but swiftly gained in strength. Sebastian nodded silently.

"Of course." He murmured, ushering the mare over and watching as she nuzzled the blue haired child apologetically.

* * *

**A.N – **I'm sorry guys. Not only do I disappear from your lives for 2-3 months, but I also managed to delete all your reviews from my inbox.

So, I'm going to say here, to all you wonderful, encouraging reviewers. I love you, a LOT! You are the ones keeping me writing this story. I tend to get to a certain point in my writing and lose complete interest and faith in my ability. So you guys letting me know that you like my writing encourages me to continue because I don't wanna disappoint you. And, it bolsters my confidence. Especially when people compare me to J.K Rowling! That's one of the reviews I remember! I was beaming about that for ages.

I had thought that I'd posted this chapter a while ago. Apparently not. So sorry for the wait and I hope you enjoy chapter 10! The next chapter should be up swiftly too!


	11. Growing Up

**A.N - **You guys, this chapter pretty much flew down from my brain and into the pc! It made me giggle a LOT to write it, so I hope you find it amusing too!

**Disclaimer - **These characters are not mine. I'll set them free once we've bored of them! Promise!

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Ciel tried very hard to concentrate on riding, but Sebastian's offer of making his injury better had bought long forgotten memories to the fore front of his mind. Memories that focused around tears and small injuries, and a warm female presence placing gentle lips to the wounded site to 'kiss it better'. Ciel's unruly mind then traded the hazy female presence with a clear image of Sebastian, the image of a young Ciel with one of how he appeared now. He could feel the blush painting his face at the mere thought of Sebastian kissing the particular part of his body which was currently causing him the most pain. And he fought to keep his mind from picturing it. How could he concentrate on maintaining his balance whilst gripping the mare's flanks with his knees and legs and holding onto a handful of mane just in case whilst he was fighting to remain sane and proper. For surely these thoughts were the most improper he had ever had!

Somehow, Ciel did manage to retain his seat, albeit more of a clinging onto the mare for dear life than truly staying seated, for two circuits of the ring whilst trotting. After this, Sebastian helped a very stiff Ciel from his perch and they walked the mare back to the stables. Ciel was shown how to groom the horse, how to check the hooves for any injury or trapped debris and finally was taken back into the house to soak in a soothing hot bath. His rump hurt, his legs ached, his arms felt wobbly. Sebastian seemed to sympathise with the collection of pains and let the boy soak in the bath after placing a warming spell over the water to keep it at the perfect soothing temperature. It was all Ciel could do to stay awake. It was therefore impossible to prevent his mind filling his head with awkward visions.

Sebastian left Ciel in the bath. The poor child was unaccustomed to such activity and the trotting had only aggravated his bruised posterior further from his original fall. He had fallen a couple of times after that first incidence, but Sebastian had ensured that he was there to catch his small master. The bath should soothe the accumulated aches and pains, and Sebastian was going to cook the boy a sweet treat to reward his efforts. Even though he'd been hurt, Ciel had persevered until he'd met the goal Sebastian had set out for him to reach. The demon could not have been more proud. So he began to cook, hearing tuned into the bathroom in case his young master should call for him. After the upset of finding Ciel sobbing the night before, Sebastian was glad to find their relationship appeared unchanged and that Ciel still accepted his presence. If this continued, perhaps Sebastian would be able to show his Master that he could never hate him. He didn't want the boy to feel upset or uncared for. He wished that they could be close, especially with all eternity spread before them to spend together. The elder demon was slightly concerned, however, that Ciel would never think of him as more than a butler and kind of replacement for his family. Perhaps when he was older they could become something closer to friends, but Sebastian anticipated a long wait until then.

* * *

_Long slender fingers tipped with ebony black nails skimmed over Ciel's pale skin, the boy breathed in shakily, watching the bath water swirl with the gentle movements the hand made. They travelled up to his neck and then to his shoulders, soothing away any tension in the muscles they found. They then trailed over his chest and down his still-childish torso. Ciel looked up for a moment to meet gleaming red eyes that captured his focus, a thin thread of some sort seeming to tie their gazes together. His breathing was erratic, at one moment calmed by the relaxation the hands bought and then it would speed up, almost to the point he was panting. His body tingled where the hands had trailed, flushing slightly from either the warm water or the hands, possibly a mix of the both. Ciel swallowed, suddenly nervous and uncertain as the hands continued down one leg, kneading away tension in sore muscles. An unfamiliar warmth began to collect beneath his naval, it felt like a swirling heat and concerned Ciel enough to break his gaze with the gleaming red eyes and direct his attention to his stomach..._

* * *

"WHA...! ?" Ciel exclaimed loudly (almost shrieking), sloshing water out of the bath as he sat upright suddenly, staring in horror at his nether regions. Of course, Ciel knew _something_ of reproduction, especially considering the company he'd been exposed to since his parents' deaths. But this had never happened to Ciel before! It was not a pleasant sensation, especially if he actually chose to acknowledge the cause of his...predicament. The small demon covered his face with shaking palms, absolutely mortified with himself. Not only had he been fantasising about Sebastian touching him in a manner that would almost certainly be viewed as inappropriate, his body had reacted to his imaginings and...urgh, it was not a condition he had expected to find himself in for a good few years yet. And never would he have entertained the thought that a male would entice such reactions from him. Not even after his realisation that he loved Sebastian. Hot shame flooded through the child's small frame as he peeked shyly down at himself, hoping the problem would have resolved itself. It had not. The part of his anatomy that he had never really acknowledged was still standing proudly from a scattering of barely visible, small hairs. Ciel shuddered, blushing at the changes in his body as he tried to figure out how to get his body back under control.

"Go away!" he whined, averting his eyes from his pelvis as if not looking would make it resort to its usual state. His heart was thundering loudly in his ears, his limbs shaking so hard that they almost sounded like a door rattling.

"Ciel! ?" Sebastian half shouted, voice almost breathless. The handle rattled before he yanked open the bathroom door and barrelled inside, prepared to fight to protect his young master. He was surprised to find the young man alone, still sat in the bath tub, having yelped and drawn his knees to his chest at Sebastian's abrupt entrance. "Ciel?" Sebastian's voice now took on a confused tone as he examined the flushed cheeks of his master.

"S...Sebatian!" The boy choked out, hands grasping his knees to his chest as his brain yelled and begged and pleaded for his ... _problem_ to subside. If he had thought his situation embarrassing before, he felt like he was going to die by this point. Why did Sebastian have to enter the room right after Ciel had been daydreaming about him?

"What's wrong? I heard you yell out all the way from the kitchen." Sebastian asked. Ciel gaped at his butler, absolutely lost for words. If possible his face brightened even further.

"I...I...uhm, Well..." Ciel's throat closed in on itself, making his splutter awkwardly. His eyes filled with humiliated tears and he quickly averted them from Sebastian, folding himself inwards, wrapping tightly around his knees. Sebastian was horrified. He had thought the day had been going well, what was wrong?

"Ciel." He said softly, crossing the room to offer some form of comfort. The boy in the bathtub cringed away from his butler.

"D...don't touch me!" he whispered, voice stricken. "I'm disgusting!" Ciel wailed; the tears that had filled his eyes chose that moment to spill over.

Sebastian's hand came up to cover his chest, but unlike his usual gesture of obedience, this was simply filled with hurt. And concern. What had happened in the short time he'd been down in the kitchen? Unable to even consider leaving the child to wallow in his misery, Sebastian knelt down beside the tub and tried to smother the hurt feeling he got when Ciel curled in upon himself further and leant away from his proximity.

"Ciel? Young Master? What's wrong?" Sebastian asked, he couldn't figure out what was going on with his small charge these days, it send his innards into a jumble, because he felt more and more that things like this were his fault.

* * *

It took a long time for Sebastian to coax anything coherent from Ciel, and even then coherent wasn't quite the word to describe Ciel's stuttering, "I – I...M...my body...and, it's not going awaaaayyy!" The boy's face was firmly planted against his knees, he refused to look at Sebastian, let alone uncurl from his protective position. After twenty minutes of getting nowhere, Sebastian sighed out to keep his temper in check, glad for both the warming spell on the water and the fact he had not put Ciel's snack into the oven yet.

Once he had calmed himself down from possibly snapping at his master, or even grabbing and shaking him, Sebastian gently touched the back of Ciel's head and frowned as he felt the boy flinch. "You know, there's nothing to be ashamed of." He began, noticing Ciel's ears turn red as he muttered something incoherent. "Every boy goes through this. It just means your body is maturing." Ciel let out a choking noise again. "Ciel, really. It's something to be...pleased about, it means that you will soon find your demonic form. You're getting close to your demon adolescence. First your body matures and then your...soul, your self?" Sebastian hummed thoughtfully and then nodded, deciding that he'd described that in the best way possible. "Soon you will no longer be a child." Ciel's head shot up to look at Sebastian.

The boy didn't know what to do. He had honestly thought he had years of being a demon child left. Years to build understanding about his feelings when he and Sebastian kissed. Years to _kiss_ Sebastian and for it to be acceptable. How could he be maturing as a demon when his body was still so small and frail? He had hoped he'd have the chance to grow a bit more; he didn't want to be trapped in a fourteen year olds body for all eternity. He supposed he could alter his form, but Sebastian said it would drain his energy. This was his human form. And he doubted he'd grow much before this 'demon' adolescence began. As these thoughts filtered through Ciel's mind, Sebastian held his gaze, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"I suppose now is the time where it would make sense for me to ... talk to you about the changes you will experience and..." Ciel's eyes widened in horror.

"NO! No, Sebastian. Just...We are _not_ going to have such a topic of discussion held in the bathroom. _Especially_ not when I am _in_ the _bathtub_...Please...just, leave me to...uhm..." The boy's eyes stung again with tears as he realised that his predicament had still not been resolved. Sebastian seemed to guess the source of the child's distress, smirked at him in a way that made Ciel huddle in on himself and lean away from his butler as far as possible.

"Are you still having a little _trouble_, Young Master?" Sebastian asked, eyes gleaming with mischief. "You know, I could help you with that." Ciel scrunched himself yet further away, clinging to his knees desperately as his cheeks flushed yet darker.

"What? N..No!" he yelped, shaking nervously at the shark like smile directed his way. Sebastian leant on the edge of the bath, leaning towards a panicking Ciel, grinning all the while.

"I can't very well leave you in such discomfort." He purred. Ciel's pupils dilated slightly and his breath came in short huffs. Sebastian was so _close_ to him, almost as close as in the daydream that caused his predicament in the first place. He could not help but to want Sebastian to kiss him, the mere thought of that want made his nether region stir again, heat sparking below his naval. Ciel clamped his eyes shut, forcing himself to press away from Sebastian and simply breathe.

Moments later the child let out a screech and flailed in the water. His eyes snapped open to meet Sebastian's. The butler was smiling serenely and holding a towel open for his master. Ciel leapt from the tub of suddenly freezing water and, as much as he wanted to slap Sebastian for his cruelty, he snuggled into the towel and against his butler, trying to leech some warmth from the demon. Sebastian wrapped the boy in the towel and then wound his arms around the shivering frame. Ciel buried his face against Sebastian's chest.

"W...why d-d-did y..yyou d-do that?" he stuttered as his teeth chattered.

"I'm sorry." Sebastian did not really sound repentant. "It just seemed to be the swiftest way to solve your discomfort." Ciel could hear the grin in his butler's voice and drew away from him, shivering as he clung to the towel and shuffled into his room, ready to find the warmest clothing he had. Sebastian followed and ushered the smaller demon towards the bed where clean clothes had been laid out. He moved as though to take the towel from the boy to dry him off, but Ciel leapt away like a startled goat.

"I can do it myself!" His voice went all squeaky in his utter panic, causing them both to blink.

"Young..." Sebastian got cut off as a small hand attempted to push him towards the door.

"Weren't you doing something in the kitchen?" He asked, desperately. "I'm capable of dressing myself. And then...I will see you in the study because you mentioned something about a letter earlier?" Sebastian looked down at his master with a frown.

"It is nothing I have not seen before." He said softly. Ciel's face almost glowed red.

"I...it's not the same." Ciel pouted, clinging to the towel for dear life. "_I_ feel different...just, go and finish your work in the kitchen." Sebastian looked about to say something else. Ciel looked at him sadly and murmured very quietly. "That's an order, Sebastian."

* * *

**A.N - **LOL! I'm very sorry Ciel. *serious face* But torturing you is very VERY amusing! :D

Let it be known that I am, in fact, a girl. Therefore, writing about a poor little demon teenager's first...*whispers* erection! eek, was not easy for me! I'm as innocent as a yaoi fangirl can get! lol. But I hope you enjoy this filler chapter. :D

Thanks for your support my lovely readers. I can't believe how close we're getting to 100 reviews! This is the most love I've ever recieved for a story!

**_Dreamy xxx_**


	12. Introductions

**A.N – **100 reviews! *is flabbergasted* yes, that is a word! I can't believe it you guys! Thank you so much!

**Disclaimer** – I do not own Sebastian or Ciel. I barely own the characters I have inserted myself.

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**Methods of Entertainment**

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The letter which Sebastian had mentioned in passing before they headed out for Ciel's riding lesson happened to be an invitation to the residents of the household to a celebration held yearly by Verdelet, an old acquaintance of Sebastian and a good friend to his father. Ciel did not want to go, but Sebastian said that they could not decline an invitation from the demon of Celebrations. Verdelet would be expecting them. The child chewed the strawberry tarts Sebastian had baked as he pondered their potential outing the following day.

"I thought we needed to be careful about my identity. Not go parading around some party. And why did we only get one day's notice to prepare? Surely it is only proper to give at least a fortnight?"

"This is Verdelet we are talking about. People consider it a great honour to be invited to one of his personal celebrations. And I expect he had only recently been made aware of our presence." Ciel pouted.

"Still, I would rather we remain here."

"It would not do to insult Verdelet. And what is this sudden disinclination to leave your home and explore the outside world?" Ciel huffed in annoyance but did not respond. He couldn't, after all, tell Sebastian that he was worried about how his body would react to being 'fed'.

"Fine. We will go. But not for too long." Sebastian bowed.

"Yes, My Lord."

* * *

The next evening, Ciel and Sebastian rode to an enclosure filled with horses outside an old circle of stones. The mare had carried them happily; Ciel sat safely within the circle of Sebastian's arms, marvelling at the difference having a saddle made. The party was filled with all manner of being. Many took their human form, but scattered amongst those were the occasional individuals who favoured their demonic form and even less of those who had chosen to attend in their animal form. Pavilions stood within the stone circle, their colours darkly gleaming with moving light emitting from the canvas itself. Past the pavilions was an open space acting as a dance floor. After leaving the mare to graze through the laugh troughs of succulent meats, Sebastian led Ciel into the hypnotically shifting light of the pavilions. The boy grasped the cuff of his butler's resplendent dark indigo-violet coat as he took in the crawling blue and green light. It really did appear to come from the pavilion walls themselves, there were no torches or candles. The colours seemed to slither and squirm around each other, flickering and pulsing. Ciel was surprised to see black light mixing in with the blue and green, how did something black emit light? Sebastian wound his way through the crowds to a pavilion without sides, but draping fabric at each corner.

The pavilion managed to appear to be set at the head of the gathering, despite the fact that it was within a circle, a part of a ring of pavilions. It held the band of musicians playing beautifully with no pause for rest. These people caught Ciel's attention first. They weren't demons. Their forms were hazy and shifting, throwing back opalescent tones of the light from the walls. They looked human, but filled with deep pain and sorrow, their eyes held neither colour nor light. He assumed they must be the Tortured. Each had the same rune emblazoned on the centre of their forehead. Sebastian bowed shallowly to a figure seated luxuriantly in a sort of throne. He had very long, slender legs, dark eyes that reflected the dizzying lights; his hair was long and dark brown hanging in a careless but attractive style to just above his shoulders. Ciel noticed that one of the man's ears was pierced at least six times with little rings which shone in the light. Upon seeing Sebastian, the man glided to his feet and embraced the raven haired demon fondly.

"I'm glad you could make it. It has been too long since we have enjoyed your company Fiacre." Ciel frowned. Apparently his dark blue and green clothing when combined with his almost blue hair had made him invisible in the similarly coloured lighting. He took a step forward and tilted his head curiously. Why had this demon called Sebastian 'Fiacre'? The movement from Ciel drew the gaze of the other man, his deep voice sounded...delighted, it was bizarre. Ciel stepped closer to Sebastian. "Oh! And I see you bought your small one. Welcome, Körbl. My name is Verdelet. It is a pleasure to meet you." Verdelet smiled at the child and bowed his head slightly. Ciel looked up at Sebastian and then back to the other male.

"My name is Ciel. And...thank you for inviting me, Verdelet. It is an honour to make your acquaintance." The dark haired demon looked from Ciel to Sebastian in shock.

"He is not of your get, Fiacre?" Sebastian shook his head.

"No. And it is Sebastian, not Fiacre." The other man frowned and then a hint of suspicion crept into his expression before he leant towards Ciel and breathed in deeply.

"Human?" he whispered, sounding confused. Sebastian sighed.

"Not anymore." Ciel did not like the way the man was observing him. He took a step away from Sebastian and folded his arms across his chest, standing up straight. One hand rose as if of its own volition to touch the eye patch covering his contracted eye. He felt threatened and instinct led him to bear his contract and issue an order.

"Ciel." Sebastian said in a warning tone. The blue eyed demon frowned up at him but dropped his hand back to cross over his chest.

"Ah. I see." Verdelet mused. "Your Young Master. How?"

"Hannah." Sebastian said, voice devoid of emotion.

"Mmhmm. I believe it would be best that this did not become common knowledge. Perhaps it would be easier for you to be attending with another child under your care rather than Ciel. Had I been focussed, I would have been able to identify him due to his appearance. You are rather well known around here young one."

* * *

Verdelet led Sebastian and Ciel out of the stone ring surrounding the party and into a much smaller ancient structure. The adults then discussed a disguise for the boy before Verdelet left them, rejoining his party seamlessly. Sebastian turned to face a silent Ciel. The boy looked uncertain; his body language was very different from usual. Sebastian supposed that this was a big change for him; he had been rather sheltered since they'd arrived in Hell, and the boy was already feeling out of his depth with the new changes to his body. Being faced with masses of demons and then Verdelet who, though considered one of the elite amongst the demons, was cheerful and affectionate rather than cold and aloof, it was a lot for the child to take in.

Sebastian crossed over and knelt before his master, smiling comfortingly. "I doubt we will need to stay for too long. Only an hour or so. Changing your eye colour and hair slightly should suffice to disguise your identity." Ciel gazed at the demon.

"Why did Verdelet call me Körbl?" he asked.

"It is customary here for a child to be named after their parent." Sebastian explained. "Obviously he assumed that you were my child."

"But he called you..."

"Fiacre. Yes, that was my name. Is my name." Sebastian frowned. "I must say, I am fonder of the one you gave me. Fiacre simply means Raven. I took it when I matured. Körbl means little raven. People will address you by any name meaning such unless you tell them differently. It's rather like an endearment. If you would prefer, we can say you are a foundling that I have taken in. Or perhaps, it would be best to allow those we interact with to believe what they will." Ciel nodded slowly.

"I may need you to help me in altering my appearance." He admitted. "Also, if my likeness is well known, should I discard my eye patch?"

* * *

Ciel and Sebastian circled around to re-enter the party the way they had originally. Ciel walked close to Sebastian, careful to keep his gaze fixed on the tall male so as not to lose him in the pressing crowds. Once again they found themselves in Verdelet's pavilion. This time the man had a beautiful woman seated on his lap; her long chestnut hair fell in a silken waterfall down her back as she toyed with one of the many piercings in the male demon's ear. Ciel paused beside Sebastian, looking up at his butler quizzically as he froze in place, eyes locked on the woman. He scowled as he noticed an almost adoring light in his butler's eyes; Verdelet almost went unnoticed by the pair as he turned to greet them.

"Fiacre! You made it!" He crowed, gently sliding the female from his lap and swooping across the space to bestow the raven demon a fond embrace.

"It is wonderful to see you again, Verdelet. Thank you for the invitation." Ciel noticed that Sebastian's gaze was trained on the woman still.

* * *

"Oh, Kainda. Come over and meet Fiacre. He is the son of my dear friend..." The beautiful woman crossed the floor with all the grace of a predator and smiled at Sebastian flirtatiously.

"Fiacre and I are already well acquainted." She purred, offering her hand to Ciel's butler and watching with a smug expression as the raven haired man bowed over it and kissed her knuckles softly. The shift in Sebastian's position revealed someone Kainda did not recognise however. "But I don't know this precious young one." She stated, looking at the child who was staring at her with a small pout.

The boy was short, his face and limbs showed slight signs of approaching adulthood, but still retained most of their childish plumpness. He was wearing green and blue clothes, looking comfortable in his finery. Only one eye was visible to watch his surroundings, the other was covered by a sweeping fringe of black hair. Kainda observed the child, taking in the slightly ruffled looking hair and the reddish brown of his visible eye.

"He resembles you well Fiacre." She said, watching the man beam at her with fatherly pride.

"Thank you." He said, placing a hand on the small of the boy's back to urge him forward into the light. The boy scowled and shuffled forward and then huddled as close to Fiacre's side as he could. The man rolled his eyes and grinned. "Sorry. He's a little shy." He said with a shrug, followed by a small 'am not' being voiced by the young one.

* * *

"Might I ask where his mother is? Will I be able to meet her tonight?" Ciel flinched at the word 'mother' but still noticed the tone in the female's voice that indicated she only asked because she wished to hear there was no mother or that Sebastian was at least no longer on speaking terms with her. And he also noticed the way Sebastian curled a comforting arm around his shoulders as he shook his head.

"I would rather not talk about her." Kainda smothered her glee well and displayed a very believable sympathetic expression, even though she also took the chance to hug Sebastian and press her bosom against his arm in the process. Ciel felt slightly nauseous at the sight and scrunched his nose up in distaste as the woman patted his hair condescendingly.

"Well then, I would say we've taken up enough of Verdelet's time, he must have many more guests to meet! Why don't we join the party? We haven't seen you in so very long dear Fiacre and I am certain many will be delighted to meet your darling Corbin." Ciel watched as Sebastian nodded and exchanged a few more words with the female. From the corner of his eye he observed Verdelet's intense gaze was directed at him. Turning slightly he blinked in shock as the Demon of Celebration grinned and winked at him. Before he could respond in any other manner, Sebastian took hold of Ciel's wrist and began to follow Kainda into the throng of party goers.

* * *

**A.N –** I don't like this chapter. Sorry if it sucks. :( I thought I'd let you know...Verdelet really is the name of the demon of celebrations; I did a teeny tiny bit of research. And Kainda's name means Hunter's Daughter. :) I hope this chapter's ok, and that you continue reviewing! You have no idea how much excitement you've caused. I've told pretty much everyone I meet that a story I wrote got 100 reviews. They smile and nod. They have no idea what I'm on about! lol


	13. Getting to Know You

**A.N – **Quick update...because this chapter just flowed easily. I hope you like it. The next one might take longer!

**Disclaimer** **- **I do not own Sebastian, Ciel or Kuroshitsuji. Other characters have been birthed from my brain. Lol. XD

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**Methods of Entertainment**

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Ciel did not like the amount of attention he was receiving. It made him feel bad that people who Sebastian knew would turn their enthusiastic greetings from him to Ciel as soon as they spotted a child hovering around the older demon. Another thing Ciel did not like about his current situation was the fact that, whilst a myriad of adult demons prodded and poked and cooed at him, Kainda was left to her own devices with Sebastian. If it wasn't bad enough that the female was laying possessive hands on his butler whilst pretending she were merely talking to him, Sebastian was reacting to her positively, encouraging her behaviour. Did he not know that he belonged to Ciel?

No matter how many times Ciel tried to make eye contact with his butler, wishing that he'd rescue him from the mob and maybe take him home, Sebastian remained entranced by the woman. At one point Ciel even thought he saw her flash him a cruel smile, but he couldn't be certain. And to make everything worse, Ciel could feel his stomach start to complain of its growing emptiness. He couldn't even begin to consider how embarrassed he would be if Sebastian chose to feed him in front of the growing horde around him. Couldn't they find another child to fawn over? Ciel was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

The trio made their way around the whole party. A pattern soon settled over them. Sebastian would greet people he knew or Kainda would introduce them. Then Ciel would find himself descended upon and would be left to fend for himself for the next ten minutes or so whilst Sebastian and Kainda talked. If he were lucky, the people who'd been bothering him would stay where they were as Sebastian excused them and moved onto the next introduction. More than once Ciel had been _un_lucky, members of the last group following after him so they could coo some more. As far as he had seen, the only children there were tiny ones held safely in their parent's arms. Ciel wondered if the others had escaped into their 'homes', their personal spaces, evading the adults. He dearly wanted to do the same, but he couldn't leave Sebastian with Kainda, and he hadn't managed to gain Sebastian's attention thus far.

Ciel was drawn from a reverie an unknown amount of time later by Sebastian's voice. The boy had been mutely standing unresponsive as various adults clucked around him like hens. His mind had been focussed on important matters, mainly the growing discomfort in his stomach which was getting to the point that he'd have to be fed. This led to panic over being fed in front of these demons, and even if Sebastian took him somewhere more private, Ciel was concerned on the reaction _his _privates would have. Would Sebastian notice? How would that affect their already strained relationship? The more people Sebastian greeted as old friends, the more Ciel came to realise that his butler had a whole different life that he knew nothing about. Sebastian knew almost everything there was to know about Ciel, but was a mystery to the boy. What would he do if Sebastian decided that he wanted to rejoin the life he left behind? Sebastian had been a constant in Ciel's life for so long that it scarred him to contemplate his leaving, and that was without even taking the fact that he loved the demon into account.

* * *

"Mother, Father." Sebastian said, eyes wide at the sight of his parents. It occurred to him that he had been among humans for far too long when he found himself surprised at their youthful appearance. Of course they wouldn't have aged, not even if he went away for a millennium. Not unless they felt the desire to do so.

"Darling Fiacre, it has been too long. Far too long." Sebastian opened his arms wide, knowing that him mother would swiftly find her way over to him and nestle into his embrace. She was a delicate woman, with long graceful legs and slender limbs. Her eyes were a clear honey colour, almond shaped and incredibly beautiful. Her hair fell in silken curls down to the nape of her neck, soft and wispy silver tresses that Sebastian had always loved.

"Mother." He murmured softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of her head. It surprised him to realise how much he had missed her, and he was pleased that Ciel could meet her too. Alkippe was a very motherly being, she adored children and would definitely be delighted at the prospect of having a grandchild, although Sebastian would have to let his parents know the truth as soon as possible. Not that they couldn't treat Ciel as a grandson, he was technically a foundling under Sebastian's care.

When Alkippe moved away from Sebastian she looked back at her husband who smiled and came forward to pull his son into a big bear hug. "We missed you, Son." He said before returning to his mate's side. "Why don't you introduce us to your friends?" he asked, eyebrow quirked at the large group that Sebastian realised was currently surrounding Ciel. The raven haired demon felt rather guilty for not having noticed earlier and carefully extracted his dazed looking master from the group, which then dispersed rapidly. Snorting, Sebastian pulled Ciel in close to his side and smiled at his parents. "This is Kainda. She is a very close friend." Sebastian said, ignoring the way Ciel tensed. He was probably worried about how he was going to be introduced. "Kainda, these are my parents. Alkippe and Artair." He introduced his mother and then father in turn who each greeted Kainda politely.

* * *

Ciel was not happy to hear that Kainda was a 'very close friend' of Sebastian's, although he approved of the protective hold his butler had on him a great deal. He felt warm and secure held against the older demon's side, especially since his intervention had finally rid him of his clingy adult demon admirers. He had also noticed that their stance was almost a mirror image of Sebastian's parents. Ciel admired their beauty, they contrasted strongly but still managed to make an attractive pair, Alkippe was willowy and very fair whereas Artair was large and well muscled with a short, dark hair style that was going silver at the temples. As they talked to Kainda, Ciel tugged on his butler's sleeve. When Sebastian glanced down at him, the older demon offered a small smile. Ciel fidgeted but found himself unable to request that Sebastian feed him. He was so worried about his body's reaction at the mere _thought_ of Sebastian. What would it do when the demon's lips caressed his? Ciel shuddered and in doing so caught the attention of Alkippe.

"Oh dear, Fiarce, the young one is hungry." Ciel's visible eye widened at that. He didn't _want _to be hungry! And he certainly had not expected anyone to notice.

"N...no!" he protested, oblivious to the sly glance shot his way by Kainda. Sebastian moved as though to escort Ciel out. Kainda leapt in with an interruption.

"Why don't you feed him Alkippe? It would give you the chance to get to know your grandson." Ciel's eye was wide with panic, as much as he feared being fed by Sebastian, he most definitely did not want to be kissed by his butler's mother in such a manner, the idea was rather repulsive. "Besides. It has been such a long time since Fiarce and I were last alone together." Ciel glared at the woman who had paused meaningfully before moving towards _his_ butler. "We have such a lot to catch up on." She purred, sliding her arms around Sebastian's neck and narrowing her eyes as she reached up to press her lips to the surprised male's.

* * *

Sebastian felt foolish for not having expected this kind of behaviour from Kainda. It had been under a century since they had last been together. Sebastian had adored the female and they'd promised many things to each other, exchanged many fervent kisses and looked forward to the next mating season where they would attempt to bring a new child into hell. Then Sebastian had been overcome with the need to feed, especially if he would be caring for a mate and their child. So he had left for earth, promising to return to Kainda once he had fed. But he had not been able to find the kind of soul that would sustain him appropriately. Mating season came and went, and Sebastian had not returned to hell. Then Ciel had called for him, and to be honest, he'd forgotten all about the woman waiting for him back home in favour for the delicious soul he was cultivating in the strong little human child. Allowing Kainda to believe Ciel to be his child had been a mistake. She would not rest until she got her own way and Ciel was in very real danger from her. She was easily prone to envy and would not share Sebastian with another female's offspring.

"NO!" Ciel's voice cut through the ebbing hum of voices, the loud screech drawing many eyes. Kainda's lips hovered a mere breath away from Sebastian's when a small body barrelled into the female's side like a cannonball, knocking her off her already wavering balance as she'd been stretching on tiptoe to reach up to Sebastian. The demon butler was so shocked by his young master's abrupt actions that he remained quite still as a small brawl began to take place at his feet. "NO!" Ciel hissed, pulling viciously at Kainda's hair and raking his nails at her eyes. "He's _mine_!" Such fury and possessiveness filled the boy's voice that Sebastian was once again drawn to a standstill. Kainda's snarling bought Sebastian back down to earth (or so the saying went).

The female flipped the pair of them so that she could pin Ciel's arms to prevent him from harming her. The boy squirmed beneath the female and bared her teeth at him, shifting into her demonic form. Kainda never did have much control over her transformation when she was angry. To his surprise however, for the first time ever, the transformation did not completely absorb him. All he felt was anger at the way his Young Master was being treated.

* * *

"Yours?" Kainda was furious. How _dare_ this little brat take her mate from her? Claim Fiacre as his? She would not allow it. She flipped them over, pinning the child with ease to prevent further clumps of her hair being torn from her scalp, she was rather proud of her hair. "He's mine you impertinent child. Mine, he promised to be my mate, even if he found another to mate with and happened to bring you into existence...He Is Mine! You are a mistake. A parasite. You were born of a lack in judgement on Fiarce's part...why are you grinning?"

"You seem to be forgetting something." The child said, continuing unprompted. "A child is born of a caring relationship. I have at least learnt that much. He may have cared for you once, but clearly he no longer does."

Kainda let out a little screech of rage, pulling back one hand to rake at the boy's face. He was staring up at her in shock, taking in her demonic form. She hadn't noticed the change until she'd seen the claws that had replaced the usual carefully manicured nails of her hands. Kainda was rather fond of her demonic form. She had long suspected it had sparked Fiacre's initial attraction to her. Her ears became pointed at the tips, her nails became claws, her legs became stronger and shorter, her feet changed into softly padded paws with retractable claws. She adored being one of the privileged Hell Cats. No one dared defy her when she showed who she really was. After drinking in the shocked expression on the boy's face, she moved to give him a scar that would forever mar his pretty countenance when a hand gripped her wrist and pulled her off of the child.

"What do you think you are doing?" she howled, incensed that someone would prevent her from seeking retribution. That boy had ruined her cosy future plans.

"Protecting my youngling." Fiacre's voice was hard and disapproving as he carelessly shoved Kainda behind him. She stared at him in shock. He couldn't care for that child more than he did for her, could he? The answer was plain as her future mate crouched beside the child, checked him over for injury, and scooped him up into strong arms. Kainda hadn't been checked for wounds, the brat had harmed _her_, and she hadn't had the chance to cause him any pain. Why did Fiacre not check to make sure she was ok? Her eyes narrowed to angry slits as the boy nestled into Fiacre's chest. It was as though he were mocking her.

* * *

Ciel was shaken. He'd pretty much declared to the whole party that Sebastian was his. He might as well have urinated on him like a dog marking its territory. How humiliating! And Kainda. Well, her demonic form had initially shocked him, but he supposed it made sense. Of course Sebastian would dote upon one who took the form of a cat. Ciel believed that was what she had become. Something feline, what with the sharp claws and the paw-feet. Her ears hadn't become particularly like those of a cat, her body had not changed much – though it had become encased in glossy leather the colour of her hair that hugged her form. He hadn't seen whiskers, nor a tail, and demon eyes always appeared cat-like. But Ciel still believed that in her animal form, Kainda would be a cat, perhaps a weak, disfigured or ugly one if her demonic form indicated what her cat form would be like, but a cat none the less. Maybe a prehistoric cat, perhaps they looked very _very_ different from the ones of today.

Sebastian was warm. Ciel could hear the reassuring thud of his butler's heart. His head swirled. He felt exceptionally hungry after that little display, his limbs felt heavy, his eyes had narrowed to slits, but he couldn't fall asleep. His stomach hurt a great deal more now and he came to realise that he really needed to be fed. Perhaps the fatigue he felt would smother his body and prevent it from reacting the way it had in the bath. He looked up at his butler's face to see barely concealed anger residing there. He was glad that it was not directed at him. The man's lips moved cueing Ciel to actually listen to the world around him once more, even though he had missed the main part of Sebastian's speech.

"...Kainda. I have all the family I need in this small one. And I cannot forgive you trying to harm my family. I apologise, but I no longer wish to take you as my mate." Ciel pitied the female. She'd withdrawn into herself, looking cowed – as if Sebastian had beaten her. She couldn't help being drawn to the man, Ciel understood the attraction. But he refused to share with her. Sebastian was his. And would be forever. He wasn't about to let some silly female take his place. One day he would figure out a relationship between himself and Sebastian that would satisfy him. And until then, well, he liked being Sebatian's 'youngling'.

* * *

Sebastian whisked Ciel out of the party, alarmed by the paleness of his cheeks and the coldness of his skin. His poor little master had barely participated, it was clear that he was worn out and had been too tired to take a full feeding, but enough to sustain him until Sebastian could get him home. He'd once again gathered the child into his arms, smiling down at him fondly as his eyes slid shut and one hand came up to cling to the lapel of Sebastian's coat. So adorable. Moving back into the party, Sebastian sought out Verdelet. The demon of Celebrations was grazing over the small selection of food that had been prepared for the amusement of the guests. He popped a small sugared almond into his mouth, beaming – whether at Sebastian, Ciel or the flavour the raven demon could not tell. "I have come to bid you farewell, Verdelet." Sebastian said, tilting his head as Ciel murmured something incomprehensible in his sleep.

"Ah, I heard that you had a cat fight," Verdelet grinned widely at his choice of words, "on your hands. I am sorry to have missed it." Sebastian bowed his head politely.

"I apologise for bringing strife to your party..." he said, only to be waved down.

"No, no. Don't be foolish. A good bit of conflict _makes_ a party." The man beamed. Sebastian could not help but think that Verdelet would get along very well with some of the shinigamis. He nodded politely once more.

"Well then, I am glad to have been of assistance?" he hedged. "But the little one is drained, I must get him home."

"Of course, of course. Oh, but before you leave Fiacre, I thought you should know that your parents are waiting with your horse...that way." He pointed grandly in one direction; causing Sebastian to glance correspondingly, when he turned back, Verdelet was gone. Sebastian smiled indulgently and exited the party, easily spotted his parents. The mare was nuzzling his mother's cheek fondly, the woman giggling softly at the ticklish sensation.

"She suites you well Fiacre." Alkippe said, fondly patting the mare's neck.

"So I have been told." Sebastian murmured, watching his father cross over to grasp his mate's hand.

"What is his name?" Artair asked quietly, deep voice rumbling in his chest as he nodded shortly towards the boy in Sebastian's arms. The demon butler sighed, he had suspected that this would be the purpose of their little meeting.

"Ciel." Alkippe's eyes shone with intuition and she smiled.

"Ah, I see."

"I don't." Artair said shortly, obviously confused.

"I promise that our story will be shared with you both soon. But right now, I must get Ciel back home. Perhaps we might visit you soon?" Sebastian asked, anxious to get his master back into his warm bed, safe and secure from crazy Hell cats.

"Of course dear one, I will send you a message." His mother darted forward gracefully to reach up and plant a fond kiss to his cheek. "You take care of him." She instructed, freeing Ciel from her son's arms to hold him against her for a moment.

Sebastian was about to protest, but stilled at the warm expression on his mother's face as she cradled his young master. Mounting the mare, he waited patiently to be handed the child.

"He is very beautiful." Alkippe murmured, smiling down at Ciel's pale face before passing the sleeping child to her husband. Sebastian's father also studied the boy, silent unlike his wife, and then passed him to Sebastian.

"We will see you soon." Was all he said before curling an arm about his mate's waist and waving his son off with a small smile.

* * *

**A.N - ***beams* I like this chapter. Much happier with it than the last one. This one has been stewing in my mind for a while now, bits of it at least. I like the fluff! I can't help it!

I hope you guys enjoy it too! Thanks once again for the reviews, the faves and the interest leading to alerts!

Alkippe is Sebastian's mother. Her name means mighty mare. If you recall, she likes horses.

Artair is Sebastian's father. His name means bear-man. Lol. I struggled to name him, considering he was once an angel, but I couldn't find a name I liked that would fit. So I named him after his strong appearance. XD


	14. Time to Shop

**A.N – **You guys have no idea how horrified I was with myself for not signing off the last chapter with my usual _Dreamy xxx_. Lol. I'm glad you all enjoyed 13, here's 14 for you, I tried to give you something you all wanted from the last chapter! Hopefully it's ok, I'm not too sure about this one.

**Disclaimer – **Sebastian is Ciel's. Ciel is Sebastian's (he just doesn't know it yet) I do not own either of them. Or anyone else Kuro-related. :(

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

When they returned home, Ciel had let out a comfortable sigh and nuzzled yet closer to Sebastian. The raven haired demon had smiled and slid from the mare's back, holding his young master carefully as they walked to the stables. A loud whinny was heard, followed by the thunder of little hooves. Ciel's foal barged his way across the space separating him from his mother and made a big fuss of her, nudging his nose against her and making peculiar chattering noises of pleasure. "I will return shortly." Sebastian promised the mare, believing that it would be simpler to put Ciel into his bed before coming to care for the horses.

The small boy didn't show any signs of waking. Sebastian wondered whether this was usual for a demon child, perhaps it had something to do with his Master's unique nature, but it could also be cause for concern. Demons, as a rule, did not sleep. Even if they chose to do so, it was usually more of a trance-like state, not the heavy sleep that Ciel was displaying. As Sebastian undressed his Master for bed, he could not help but notice the changes that were occurring. He had not really taken note of them before now, but after Ciel's bath the day previously, Sebastian was able to see the signs that Ciel was not going to be a child for much longer. As Sebastian slipped a night shirt over the child's torso, he saw that Ciel's hands weren't as small and delicate as they had been. Of course, the fingers were still long and slender, but the size of his hands had increased. Sebastian would have to have his Master's feet measured; badly fitting shoes could cripple growing feet.

Other changes to Ciel were very evident to Sebastian, though he had a feeling that the boy would not appreciate his attention to such areas of his anatomy. Smoothly pulling the night shirt down to cover Ciel's legs, Sebastian wondered how long it would be before Ciel's voice changed, how much taller would he get? Would he find his Demon form and forever be frozen at the age he was before or after he began to need to shave? Would Ciel want to shave, would he grow facial hair or would he –like Sebastian – want to learn to suppress the hair growth to eliminate the need for razors and scissors? Although he couldn't help but feel a little sorrow at the loss of his small master, Sebastian looked forward to seeing the adult Ciel would grow into. His mother was right, the boy _was_ extremely beautiful. Focussing his attention back onto his task, Sebastian gently lifted Ciel to pull the blankets down and placed the boy into bed. His hair had returned to its usual colour and style and splayed darkly against the pillow. "Sleep well, Ciel." He murmured as he pulled the blankets up and tucked the boy in before blowing out the candles and leaving the room.

After removing the mare's tack and grooming her carefully, Sebastian checked the foal over. The food and rest had made an obvious change to his condition already, though his coat was still dull and difficult to identify colour-wise in the dark, his big purple eyes were bright and intelligent. "We're going to have to think of some names for you two. Can't continue calling you 'mare' and 'colt' forever." Sebastian told the horses before filling their manger with meat. Perhaps he could take Ciel to get his feet sized in the morning. Then they could buy some chickens and rabbits. Sebastian thought that he could section off a secure area to keep the rabbits from devouring his gardens, and he could teach Ciel to alter his home to provide a chicken coop. That way the horses would have fresh meat and Ciel could have fresh eggs for breakfast.

* * *

Ciel woke up with a start. His dreams had been a swirl of emotions and scenes from the party. Oddly, the bizarre lights had been the main feature and Ciel wondered whether they'd messed with his head. They had been rather dizzying, making moving shadows that seemed to follow you as you wandered around. No one else had seemed to find them uncomfortable, so perhaps it was something that he would eventually get used to. He partially hoped that the lights had caused him to hallucinate the events of the previous day. Would Sebastian be angry that he had attacked Kainda? Theoretically, Ciel shouldn't need to be so bothered by thoughts of his butler's feelings. Sebastian's job was to serve him; Ciel was the master and therefore was not expected to consider the feelings of his servants. Though one should always treat them fairly, his father had taught him that from a young age. However, since Ciel had realised his affections towards Sebastian, things such as the dark haired man's opinion and emotions had started to mean a lot to Ciel. After all, he wished for Sebastian to like him, not hate him.

Rubbing at his eyes sleepily, Ciel shifted into a sitting position and blushed. He was wearing his night shirt, which meant that Sebastian had changed his clothing whilst he had slept. Everything had been too much for him yesterday, he'd barely been able to stay awake to be fed, and had quite probably slipped into slumber whilst Sebastian was quelling the emptiness in his stomach. At least he hadn't had the opportunity to embarrass himself via humiliating bodily reactions. Perhaps he had nothing to fear, maybe his body's rebellion during his bath was the only time such events would occur and he had no reason to fear Sebastian bathing, feeding or dressing him. Ciel yawned and slid from his bed to cross the room and sit on the window seat. The sun was shining and he could see the mare leading the foal through the maze. The poor horses really would need some names. After a few minutes of contemplating a variety of names, Ciel's nose picked up the scent of eggs and bacon and tea. He remained where he was, listening to the sounds of Sebastian entering his bedroom and setting up his breakfast before shifting to stand upright and bow as he usually did.

"Good morning Young Master. This morning I have prepared scrambled eggs, toast, cooked tomatoes and bacon for your morning meal." Ciel sighed softly, Sebastian must be angry about the previous evening to call him that. "Ciel? Are you quite well?" The boy's heart did an uncomfortable twist at the sound of his name. Maybe Sebastian was just being polite or even simply slipping back into old routine. He turned from the window and moved from the seat to sit at the table.

"I am fine, thank you Sebastian. Breakfast smells wonderful. Have you scheduled anything for today?" With that, Ciel began to eat. Sebastian moved around the room, straightening things and making the bed before picking out some clothes as he explained the plans that he had concocted the day previous.

* * *

"You really should name her, you know?" Ciel said as they passed the mare into the care of a male Tortured who cared for the horses of travellers. Sebastian looked at his small charge, surprised.

"You wish for me to name the mare?" he asked, earning a scoffing snort from Ciel.

"I told you, she is yours. Of course you should be the one to give her a name." Sebastian smiled and hummed thoughtfully.

"I was considering...Amaya." he said softly. Ciel blinked.

"I like it." He said approvingly, Sebastian smiled gently and began to walk down into the shopping district, Ciel followed quietly. "So, why are we here exactly? You mentioned wanting to do some shopping?" he asked, bright blue eye darting from stall to stall, taking in things he'd missed on his first trip due to hunger. Sebastian's steps were slow and relaxed, happy to allow his young master the time to take in his surroundings. Ciel seemed slightly distant, but cheerful and interested in their trip, so Sebastian was content.

"I thought it would be good to buy some livestock to keep the horses fed. And perhaps to get you fitted for a new wardrobe." He said as Ciel peered into a cage holding a baby aye-aye. He frowned at its bizarre appearance, mainly focussing on the very long middle fingers of its front feet. The man behind the counter scowled at Sebastian for allowing the child so close to the cage and the butler quickly snagged his elbow and pulled him away and down to the next store.

"Hmmmm. Okay." Ciel muttered, already entranced by a charmed toy clown flipping over and over across the table before him and spinning in circles before starting again. Sebastian did not know whether to smile at the boy in amusement or to be disgruntled by the fact that Ciel was not paying him any attention. It was rather endearing to see his Young Master so captivated by such a simple toy, but then, he knew next to nothing of the arcane skills many demons possessed. In the end, Sebastian decided to allow Ciel the time to observe what he wished. It was a pleasure to see the child's eye blaze with curiosity and interest, watch him hesitantly reach out to touch a chimera skull and gaze into the flickering pearlescent light of a crystal ball only to scowl in contempt and move on. Little did Ciel know that the crystal ball was genuine and no parlour trick.

As the pair circled the whole shopping district, Sebastian noticed Ciel's steps beginning to falter, his hands came to press against his stomach periodically and once every so often the boy would glance anxiously at Sebastian when he thought the older male was not looking. It stood to reason that Ciel was getting hungry, but Sebastian could not fathom why the boy would not just tell him so that he could quiet his stomach's pain. He considered questioning his young master, but reasoned that, if he was simply being stubborn, it would only make matters worse. Ciel would have to request that he be fed before long. It had happened before; he got to a point where he simply couldn't bear the pain any longer. So Sebastian would have to endure watching his charge smother his discomfort as he wandered through the shops and eyed the various wares.

* * *

Ciel had been fitted for new clothes and shoes, handpicked a small herd of goats, a large flock of fluffy black and grey chickens and three pairs of rabbits, peered with slowly ebbing interest into each and every shop in the district, and still his stomach roared at him. He wanted the pain to go away. But he was terrified to be alone in a room with Sebastian. Touching Sebastian, feeling his warmth and the teasing touch of his lips and tongue...the mere thought of being fed by his butler was enough for a rolling heat to pool beneath his rioting stomach. It took all of Ciel's restraint to continue finding things to distract himself instead of doing as what he assumed were his hormones wanted him to do. Which is to say, pin Sebastian to the nearest vertical surface and press ardent kisses against the raven haired man's soft-yet-firm lips. Ciel hated his hormones! It was infuriating to have his body lusting after one course of action whilst his brain (with all of its morals and ideals) fought against said course of action tooth and nail. Not only was his stomach howling in hunger, his limbs were shaking violently in their weakened state. In addition to the nourishment provoked problems, his entire body tingled with want and his head thumped painfully with a burgeoning migraine caused by his roiling thoughts and mental arguments.

There was nothing left to distract Ciel from the troubles he was facing. He had explored the entire shopping district and had no interest in the outermost ring of amusements. Not only that, but if he entered that ring of buildings, he knew he would only end up dragging his butler into a quiet room and do something he was sure he would regret in the light of a sane – hunger free – mind. It was spotting Sebastian's concerned expression from the corner of his eye that sent Ciel's mind into a flurry of activity and brought to his memory the central marketplace of the town. Turning his steps determinedly to one of the radial roads, Ciel peered down towards the red grassed area. He heard Sebastian let out a little choking noise and felt his butler grasp his upper arm and pull him to a halt.

"Sebastian, I want to see the rest of the town." Ciel said blankly, avoiding his butler's eyes.

"Ciel, you need..." The boy quickly cut him off, knowing that if he allowed Sebastian to suggest feeding, his will would crumble.

"You have tried to keep me from the market both times we've been here. I want to go and see what is there." He frowned. "Why do you not wish me to?" Sebastian sighed.

"It is not something I believe would be...I think it would cause you pain to see what happens in such places." At Ciel's sidelong, questioning glance, Sebastian elaborated. "That isn't a market, not as you are thinking of it. It is more of an auction."

"I have attended auctions before, they can be quite exciting." Ciel informed his butler, once again trying to move his steps down the gravel road. Sebastian's grip on his arm prevented any forward motion.

"It is where the Tortured are bartered over. Demons purchase them for a period of time, they...they browse through them and pick out a few to take into the buildings built of wood and stone. They...sample them there. Use them for a while for whatever they wish to purchase them for. See which they like most. Auctions are held on small groups. Or it is possible to purchase favoured Tortured straight after testing them, for an increased sum. Then, if they have only purchased them for the day, they go to the wooden buildings. Otherwise they will be taken to the Demon's home."

Ciel's face blanched, his trembling grew increased. Memories arose of what had happened to him after the fire in which his parents perished. He felt Sebastian's grip on his arm loosen and willingly curled into his butler's reassuring embrace. The warmth that washed over him broke his stubborn will and he allowed himself to press his face against Sebastian's chest.

"I wish to feed, Sebastian." Ciel said softly, desperately trying to regulate his erratic breathing as his body anticipated food and Sebastian's touch. Ciel couldn't help but think this would end badly, but he'd lost the battle with his hormones and his stomach. He had to at least satisfy one need, and he genuinely hoped it would be his hunger rather than his hormones demands.

* * *

Sebastian regretted having to inform Ciel more on the nature of Demons' relationships with the Tortured. He had been concerned about how his Young Master would react. He was both pleased by the fact that Ciel was submitting to his hunger and worried by the boy's negative reaction to the knowledge he'd imparted. As he led the small teenager to the nearest inn, he noted his shallow breathing, shaky steps and the clammy appearance of his wan skin. Seeing Ciel so distraught was not something Sebastian was either accustomed to or comfortable with. The child's meek demeanour as he trailed behind Sebastian, led by the hand, was unusual and didn't fit his Master's character at all. The way Ciel's footsteps slowed dramatically as they headed up to a rented room in the inn caught Sebastian's attention and he frowned at the almost manic shine in his Master's bright blue eye.

"This is our room." Sebastian said softly, pushing the door open and watching Ciel stumble inside. The lines of the boy's body showed tension and his hands clenching and unclenching only reinforced the aura of stress surrounding the child. It almost appeared that Ciel was no longer comfortable with the feeding process, though Sebastian could not see what would have caused such a change in the boy's mind. Instead of questioning his Master's behaviour, Sebastian led the child to the large, comfortable chair beside the fire and settled him into it, kneeling by his side.

Ciel was trembling; he couldn't force himself into calm passivity. His heart thundered in his ears, pounded at his chest and pulsed in his throat. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to quell what he assumed were racing hormones. He had to calm down; it would not do to react as he had in the bath! He needed to be calm before Sebastian...The butler removed his gloves one by one, teeth tugging at the tip of the middle finger. Ciel's eye widened, his heart working even faster as Sebastian's warm hands cupped his cheeks and soothing thumbs brushed his face reassuringly. All Ciel could think about his situation was that, at least, he wasn't sat on Sebastian's lap as he had the last few times. Such a position would only make the problem he felt springing to life overly evident. Fearing Sebastian's disgust to his body's enthusiasm, Ciel drew his knees up to his chest, forming a barrier between his body and Sebastian's as the older male moved to kneel before him. Ciel gulped as Sebastian frowned at his position, but let a flicker of relief soothe him as the demon leaned towards him instead of questioning what surely registered as odd behaviour.

As Sebastian's red eyes grew larger in Ciel's vision, as the demon's warmth washed over him, as those enticing lips hovered closer and closer to Ciel's own parted ones; the boy felt his body hum. It was an unsettling sensation, his stomach, though still painful from the hunger, almost seemed to fizz in excitement. Below that sensation built a warmth in conjunction with the unwelcome stirring of Ciel's nether regions. His breath came in short gasps and he began to feel slightly woozy. As Sebastian grew yet closer, Ciel was forced to allow his eye to close, the close proximity of his butler caused his vision to blur and his body to thrum with an electric-like current. Then lips were brushing his, soft and warm. Ciel sighed softly at the comforting touch and parted his lips further as he felt Sebastian's mouth open enough to allow his tongue to quest forth and lap at Ciel's lips. The boy shuddered as he felt one of the hands at his face shift upwards to comb through his hair, fingers entangling in coal blue locks whilst their tongues moved together, prodding and rubbing gently.

Ciel's chest began to ache as his heart sped further, sounding in his ears like it was humming. He fervently hoped that Sebastian could not hear it, it was bad enough to feel his trousers tighten and having to worry about hiding that, let alone other embarrassing things his body was doing. How could Ciel allow himself to leave his home if he had to be fed? He wouldn't always be able to position himself to hide any reaction his lower half had to the close proximity of Sebastian. He was enjoying this kiss far more than he should be, but there was nothing he could do to try and associate warm lips moving against his and a slick tongue exploring his mouth with _food_. He knew he was getting sustenance from the kiss; his stomach only grew hotter and began to writhe more wildly as it was filled.

Luckily, the kiss was coming to an end. Ciel could tell this by the fact that Sebastian was encouraging his tongue to explore the older man's mouth. Ciel couldn't remember how Sebastian had tasted at the party, but as he allowed his tongue to trace the contours of Sebastian's mouth, he revelled in the tangy sweetness reminiscent of citruses. It was a cool and refreshing flavour which he found difficult to withdraw from. He battled with himself, trying to finish the kiss so that they could return home, but his hormones had obviously commandeered his body and fought off his rational mind. An odd sensation caused Ciel to jolt and finally move away from Sebastian. His visible eye widened as he looked into Sebastian's smirking face. The demon had suckled on his tongue! Ciel blinked and watched as Sebastian got to his feet and replaced his gloves. He didn't want to move just yet, his trousers were still uncomfortably tight and he knew that Sebastian would notice if he stood up. He'd be disgusted that Ciel was aroused by being fed, or even worse – he would realise that Ciel was aroused by Sebastian himself! The boy covered his face and rubbed at it, trying to figure out a course of action.

Seeing his Young Master's actions and presuming it to be due to tiredness, Sebastian smiled. "If you are happy to wait here, I will go and organise for our purchases to be delivered to your residence and then return to you so that we may go home." Ciel peered up at Sebastian and nodded his acceptance, he was pleasantly surprised by the offer and hoped that it would lend him enough time to quell his hormones and return his trousers to their usual comfortable fit. Sebastian bowed and left the room. Ciel leapt to his feet and did a jig about the room, hoping that maybe movement would ease his discomfort. If anything, the friction made things worse. The boy scowled.

"Go _away_!" he hissed at his nether regions for the second time in a handful of days. Obviously this was where his hormones originated as his erect member showed similar stubborn qualities. Ciel began to panic, Sebastian was always swift in dealing with chores, he'd be back soon! The boy spun around and hurried over to the window to see if he could spot his butler returning. In the process he ran into the corner of a table which happened to be at groin height. With a pained choke followed by a whine, Ciel sunk to the floor clutching desperately at the wounded, now decidedly limp, part of his anatomy. When Sebastian returned, he was met by the sight of his Young Master clutching the crotch of his trousers and panting. He raised one dark eyebrow at the child who met his gaze with watery eyes and let out a very high pitched plea to go home.

* * *

**A.N – **It amused me to see how many people wanted a kiss in the last chapter. I always feel that my kisses are no good and tend to be repetitive. I hope I'm wrong and that this one is good for you guys! :D

I just want to warn you that I start University soon. I'm going to have to work really hard at it too since I'll be starting the final year of my course and have to produce my 'final project' and totally don't feel ready for it. This will either drive me to write more because of my procrastinating ways, or I'll be good and I'll have to slow down updates. Have no fear though. I can't bear to not finish a story!

Oh, btw, Amaya means...night or born of the night or something like that! :) There weren't many female names meaning Raven, which is what I wanted to name her. It may mean Night Rain. I'm sorry, I forget!

_**Dreamy xxx**_


	15. Sleeplessness

**A.N - ** Hi again guys, sorry for the wait. University has started and I've only just gotten past my ... 3-4 week panic over it! Lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I think the next one should be more enjoyable, but I don't know when I'll have it written and posted.

**Disclaimer – **Obviously I do not own anything from Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler. If I did...I would be making another anime series and other fun stuff like that rather than worrying about university!

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**Methods of Entertainment**

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For nights now, Ciel's dreams had been filled with gleaming red eyes. Cool hands and warm lips. Soft skin being explored. Every time he dreamt of such things he found himself craving more, he didn't even know what more could be. He found innocuous parts of himself sending him into wracking throes of pleasure, would a kiss to his chest _really _feel that good? He was horrified by his sleeping mind's willingness to submit to his butler, its pleasure and lust. He felt disgusted by himself upon waking, finding it more and more difficult to face his butler during the day, knowing he'd been dreaming of him the previous night. What was a dream unless an expression of one's desires and thoughts? He felt that he should put a stop to Sebastian in his sleep, but even if he went to bed with that intent, his dreaming self panted and encouraged, it was humiliating, he behaved like a lady of the night! He called out Sebastian's name and arched his body upwards, seeking to meet the strong muscles and hot flesh of the older man, his body tingled with pleasure and he wanted more.

"SEBASTIAN!" his arched back relaxed; he hit his mattress, panting, and sat bolt upright. He was alone in his room. There was light filtering through the curtains. Ciel shuddered and scooted towards his headboard, reaching down to pull his blankets around him. An uncomfortable sensation caught his attention, he felt...sticky. Peering down at himself by lifting his blankets with a growing sense of horror, Ciel noticed a wet substance sticking his nightshirt to his lower stomach. Shuddering at the sensation and feeling disgusted by the thought of having soiled himself, the child slid very carefully from his bed and examined his sheets. They and the blankets were thankfully clear of the wetness, but his nightshirt was plainly stained. Glancing at the window and realising that Sebastian would be brining his breakfast shortly, Ciel rushed into the bathroom and hopped from foot to foot as his bath filled. He couldn't let Sebastian find out about him soiling himself; it was humiliating, only little children wet the bed. Ciel had been getting up to use the bathroom in the night for as long as he could remember, so why had he had an accident last night?

Once the bath was filled, Ciel paused. What would Sebastian say if he found Ciel trying to wash himself and his nightshirt? Usually Ciel was still asleep at this time of the morning! However, as he heard his butler's steps outside his bedroom door, Ciel leapt into the bath fully clothed and winced at the tepid temperature and his hasty actions. "Good Morning, Ciel, I heard you call me but..." Sebastian's voice trailed off and Ciel heard a soft clink of china. "Young Master?" Sebastian sounded worried. Ciel shifted slightly in the bathtub and looked up at the sound of Sebastian entering the bathroom. "Ciel?" The boy blushed. "What are you doing?" Sebastian looked comically confused. Ciel shifted uncomfortably. "Why are you in the bath...in your night shirt?" Sebastian's hands found their way to snag a towel and help the silent boy from the bath. He then proceeded to strip him of his wet clothing, ignoring all struggling and protest, and dress him. Then he sat the child down before his breakfast and waited patiently for a response to his question.

Ciel ate in silence. Then he stared at Sebastian in horror when the butler refused to let him leave until he had answered his original question. Now, why Ciel didn't simply order Sebastian to let him leave was anyone's guess. After a lot of calm questions and gentle cajoling, Sebastian managed to draw an answer from the very guilty, delightfully blushing, Ciel. A weak answer, obviously a lie, but an answer none the less. After all, Sebastian hadn't specified that he want the truth, simply an answer. How Ciel expected his butler to believe that he'd been dreaming of being caught in a fire and had leapt into the bath to douse the flames, Sebastian didn't know. He did find himself feeling bad for having bought memories of the fire that took his parents to the forefront of Ciel's mind. Why else would it have occurred to him to use it in his untruth?

Sebastian allowed the lie to pass as truth, accepting it once big blue eyes (only enhanced by the glowing violet pentagram), filled with painful swirling emotions, were turned awkwardly to meet his own. Something was bothering Ciel, but the boy was far too stubborn and proud to talk of his troubles, instead allowing them to stew. Sebastian chose to respect his Master's privacy so long as it was not detrimental to his health. As had become routine after their latest trip into town, Sebastian and Ciel went into the gardens. Whilst Sebastian fed and tended to the goats (Ciel did not like the stubborn, eternally hungry, spiteful creatures), Ciel went to the chicken coop. He was very fond of his hens. He'd chosen an unusual breed, compelled to do so by their furry appearance, these hens looked like big balls of wispy fluff. Sebastian said they were called 'Silkie Bantams' and Ciel's twelve hens were either black or grey (which was apparently really called blue). They were spectacular, even their feet had feathers! And they seemed to adore Ciel, which the boy found very heart warming. He collected their eggs and left them outside the enclosure in a wicker basket. Then he sat in the grass which had so far survived their scratching and soon found himself being used as a perch by at least three hens. This is where Sebastian would find him; they would then cross to the stables.

Sebastian had noticed the peace Ciel found in tending his animals. He didn't like the goats, tolerated the rabbits though he found them boring, liked the hens; but it was the horses he really seemed to connect with. Just over a week had passed since they had purchased the animals and triggered the morning ritual of caring for them all. Ciel had learnt to sit Amaya as she walked and trotted. He no longer relied solely on balance but used his strengthening leg muscles to hold onto the horse. Sebastian was satisfied with the progress and intended on teaching his Master to canter and gallop, but with a saddle. Before these lessons began however, Ciel had expressed a desire to learn how to saddle a horse and how to care for his foal. It had proven difficult for the boy to saddle Amaya, but with her assistance and unusually placid demeanour where Ciel was concerned, he had eventually managed. Even though it meant he had to clamber around the mare like a monkey. Sebastian found the sight amusing and endearing. Additionally it intrigued him. Mares, especially ones that were herd matriarchs, were known to be short tempered and aggressive. So Amaya's docile nature when dealing with Ciel, though not disliked, was confusing. Ciel was oblivious to the apparent fondness the mare held for him and, when he wasn't learning about things to do with horses in general, he lavished the foal with all his attention.

The foal adored Ciel. It followed him around like a duckling would its mother. All Ciel had to do was murmur the little male's name, and it was at his side, soft muzzle resting against the boy's chest as it warranted affectionate pets and gentle hugs from the child demon. After Sebastian had named the foal's mother, Ciel had spent a long time researching in his library. He wanted the foal's name to mean something special but also to fit with the mare's in some way. Sebastian was amused every time he heard the boy calling for 'Abra', but he did agree that the name was fitting. Abra was shortened from Abraxas – a horse from Greek Mythology which belonged to the sun god. There were a variety of other meanings and points of interest surrounding the name and Sebastian approved. It was the shortening of it that he found comedic, it simply sounded odd. Not that he would inform his Master of this, of course.

Ciel's careful tending to the young colt had bought it back to pristine health. It ate as it was supposed to, spent time playing and frolicking in the sun, was washed and groomed every day to the point that the foal's colouration was finally discernable as it shone with health. Both demons were surprised at how well the horses fit their owners. Sebastian and Amaya were alike, in colour and temperament. Ciel and Abra matched also. The foal was a shade of grey like snow against a pale sky as it fell to earth, a dark colour, but bright in its own sense, if one could pardon the oxymoron. His eyes were lively and inquisitive as they shone a bright purple reminiscent of Ciel's contact. Where the foal's mother was solidly black except for the bands on her legs and the raven feather colouration of her mane and tail, Abraxas was dappled. The foal's patterning made up for the solid dark grey of his mane and tail. The unusual pattern of blue-ish hair (almost an exact match to Ciel's own hair) was concentrated around the foal's shoulders and his rump. It was unique and made Ciel eager to see the foal grow enough to be ridden. The four of them would be a striking sight.

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Ciel was tired, so very tired. After that first incidence of soiling himself, he found his night clothes to be stained three nights in a row. Somehow he managed to keep Sebastian from discovering what had transpired. What really troubled Ciel was the fact that each time he woke with a wet night shirt, he recalled that he'd dreamt of Sebastian that night. Dreams which were as shameful as the wetness he awoke to each morning. It preyed on the boy's mind. He had always considered himself to be a proper gentleman. He had reluctantly come to terms with the affection he held for Sebastian, even the desire for contact with the older male. But he drew the line at the lecherous dreams. Not only did it feel wrong to be thinking of _anyone_ in such a way, he felt ashamed of his obvious subconscious desires where Sebastian was concerned. It made interacting with his butler awkward and uncomfortable. So Ciel had trained himself to awaken as soon as Sebastian entered his dreams. After a week of doing so, he realised he had a greater problem than inappropriate dreams. Though the cessation of the dreams had also put a stop to his wet night clothes, the sheer number of times he had to wake himself – more than once a night – was preventing him from completing a sleep cycle. He was getting no proper sleep and might as well have been taking ten minute cat naps throughout the day for the amount of good remaining in bed was doing him. Further problems arose when Sebastian began to notice that something was troubling Ciel.

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'_**Mother,'**_ Sebastian wrote by the light of three candles held in a single, silver candelabra. He was distraught and had finally been able to admit to himself that he needed help. Though he had been able to care for Ciel impeccably whilst the boy was human, a demon child was clearly beyond his capabilities, especially one who was showing signs of adolescence. Sebastian couldn't remember his own childhood very clearly, but he was almost certain that he had never suffered the way Ciel was.

'_**I am at a loss. Ciel has been behaving in a manner most unlike his usual self for a while now. It started before Verdelet's party, but in the last week or so, things have worsened. I am very concerned. It is clear to me that he is not getting enough sleep. He has dark hollows beneath his eyes; he is quiet and withdrawn and will not talk to me of his troubles when I ask. If I persist, he snaps at me and withdraws for hours at a time. He avoids my company, eats little, refuses to leave his home and I do not know what course of action to take. I feel that I have failed him, but I have never had to care for a demon child before and did not have the opportunity to learn as he grew. **_

_**I am ashamed to request help, but I know that you would say I should not be foolish. It is my hope that you could either shed some light on my situation or perhaps that Ciel and I could come and visit for a while, mayhap you could identify the boy's trouble if he were under your observation. I can leave the animals (goats, rabbits and chickens) under the care of a Tortured if necessary. Though I do ask – not that I believe the request will trouble you in the slightest – if Ciel and I are to visit with you and father, that we may bring our two horses with us. My mare and her foal. Ciel is particularly fond of them and I am wary of aggravating his problem by parting him from them.**_

_**I hope that you do not feel I have failed in my duty as a guardian in asking your help. I await word from you in anticipation.**_

_**Your Son**_

_**Fiacre'**_

Sebastian sighed as he signed off the letter and rolled it tightly before sealing it with his crest and tying it with a red ribbon. His pride was severely harmed by asking for assistance, even if it were from his mother. However, it was his duty to care for his Young Master, and if his skills were not sufficient to do so, he was obliged to find a way to acquire the skills he lacked from one who possessed them. Alkippe was the embodiment of maternal instinct. If anyone could teach Sebastian to be a better carer for a demon youngling, it would be his mother. Gathering the tatters of his pride about himself, Sebastian summoned a _Muan_ and attached the letter by the ribbon to the messenger demon's leg. The owl blinked large eyes at him slowly, gulped down the coin he offered it and with a screech it flung itself from the open window and flew off rapidly.

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Ciel startled slightly as an owl burst into his line of sight before swiftly disappearing into the sky. He couldn't bring up the energy to react more or even to wonder about the sudden appearance of a creature he had not seen around his home before. Ciel was exhausted, so much so that he feared being unable to awaken himself if necessary from his dreams. This had lead him to sit in the most uncomfortable position possible in the window seat so that he could occupy his mind with the view. He wasn't sure how much longer he could continue this way. Something was bound to give soon. Either Sebastian would figure him out or Ciel would betray the extent of his feelings and desires from exhaustion. It was becoming more and more difficult to decline his butler's suggestions of day trips out from his home. And there was only so much he could find to occupy himself. There had to be some way of dealing with his dreams at least. If Ciel didn't have to persistently keep himself from dreaming, he would sleep better and therefore have more control over his sudden urges. The child sighed and moved from his contorted position. Muscles, cramped from having been motionless for so long in such an unusual shape, twinged in rebellion; causing Ciel to stumble to one side and grab the window seat to remain standing.

The loud scuffle his clumsy feet made was enough to draw Sebastian's attention, Ciel knew full well that within mere minutes the raven haired demon would enter his room and start questioning him...again. That's how most of their interactions started these days, questions about whether Ciel felt okay, was he having nightmares, was there something Sebastian could do to help the boy sleep better, did Ciel want a cup of warm milk and honey before bed, did Ciel wish for a candle to remain lit, did Ciel think a story or a song would help him find restful sleep? As much as the boy was flattered and warmed by the concern, he really wished that Sebastian would just leave him be. He either had to lie to his butler or ignore him outright in response to many of his questions. Others he agreed to, such as desiring the milk. And he admitted to having dreams that troubled him, rather than nightmares. Turning down the offer of Sebastian reading to him until he fell asleep was a wrench, but Ciel knew that he'd have scoffed at such a suggestion not so long ago. Why he now thought that such childish things sounded lovely was a question he wished he could have answered. Was he regressing into some kind of more innocent, child like state? The fact he had wet the bed a few times, not to mention the strong desire to be coddled by his butler would suggest this. But then again, his tormenting dreams were anything _but _innocent!

"Young Master?" Sebastian's dark head poked around the side of the door and Ciel could make out a slight furrowing of his butler's brow. "Why are you at the window? Did something disturb you?" The demon asked as he entered the room bearing a candle. Ciel thought quickly.

"I thought I heard an owl." He said, twisting the truth slightly.

"Ah, yes. Well it is nothing to be concerned about. The Muan are messenger demons which taken the form of owls. I was sending a letter to my mother." Ciel nodded as he stifled a yawn behind his hand. "Now, Ciel, there are only a few hours left before dawn. You look exhausted. You should try to sleep a little longer."

Sebastian reached out with his free hand and clasped Ciel's before leading across to his bed. As the elder demon fussed about with organising the pillows and sheets, Ciel focussed on calming his thundering heart. The gentle contact had sent tingles through his skin. If he wasn't careful, he would do something he would regret. Like cling to Sebastian and request an embrace, a kiss...something more perhaps. As soon as his butler turned to Ciel, the boy leapt into his bed like a cat springing into the warm spot its owner had just vacated. Sebastian chuckled and tucked the blankets around Ciel.

"Good night, Ciel. Sleep tight." He murmured softly, ghosting a kiss so lightly across the child's forehead that Ciel, who had his eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to control himself, did not notice a thing.

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**A.N – **Thank you for your reviews and support. I've had a few questions raised and some tentative requests. I think I should be able to incorporate most of it in the next chapter! :)

Walking to my lectures and stuff is killing me! I had no idea that campus was so huge. And it's built on a hill. Lugging my laptop and occasionally a rucksack filled with bottles of water and stuff to munch on and a variety of books and pens and paper is killing me. Looking on the bright side...I'm not eating as much as I have been over the last few months because I'm too busy! And with all the hiking, I may be able to lose some of the weight I've been trying to lose over the years! XD

_**Dreamy xxx**_

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P.S. I thought I'd share the horses name meanings with you. I found them on a website called 2000 names.

_**AMAYA**_: 1. Japanese name meaning "night rain." 2. Variant spelling of Basque Amaia, meaning "the end."

_**ABRAXAS**_: Greek myth name of one of the horses belonging to the sun god Helios. It is also the name of a demon of lies and deceit. The letters of the name add up to 365, the number of days in the year. It has been found in Greek magical texts and may be related to the word abracadabra which may derive from Aramaic avra kedabra, meaning "I will create as I speak." Abra for short.


	16. Visiting the Family

**A.N – **Hey guys, I dunno what to say about this chapter, I can hardly remember half of it! I feel like I've taken forever to write it. I explain my slowness at the end...so, I hope you enjoy!

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**Methods of Entertainment**

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Ciel was lounging around in his library, reading a massive old tome of poetry and short stories when he heard the bell that announced that someone was at the front door begin to ring. At first, he ignored it, assuming that Sebastian, Tanaka or Meyrin would answer the door. It took a scattered handful of seconds for the child to realise that, first of all, only Sebastian was here to answer the door if he did not do it himself. And secondly, there was no one in his home other than himself and his butler. But why would Sebastian ring the front door bell? Heaving the heavy leather bound cover of the book closed; Ciel left it on the table and exited his library, turning his steps towards the front door. He was alive with curiosity, blue eyes gleaming with inquisitiveness. As he approached the entrance hall of his house, Ciel heard the low hum of voices. Curious to find out who was visiting, the boy peered around the corner of the corridor he was in.

Sebastian was blocking Ciel's view of whoever was at the door and was apparently scolding said person in hushed tones. As Ciel craned his neck slightly to attempt to see past his butler, Sebastian turned to glance at the corridor Ciel was currently occupying. Instead of giving himself away with movement, the boy remained still, confident that a potted plant was shielding him from view. He was surprised to see Alkippe at the door with a tall and slender female Ciel didn't recognise, the visitors revealed by Sebastian's slight shift in weight. Alkippe was frowning at her son with stern eyes.

"After all that, 'I'm ashamed' nonsense in your letter, I decided to come and speed things along. Your father and I already have visitors, but it might be good for Ciel to meet someone roughly his own...age. Well, you understand that I mean someone at about his level of maturing. I have bought Mara with me, you might remember her. She's been with me since I matured, she is very trustworthy and completely capable of caring for your livestock and making sure the house remains in order. All you have to do is pack for yourself and Ciel."

The child was surprised by the forcefulness of someone he'd assumed to be rather placid. Sebastian spluttered slightly which amused his master greatly. "Mother. I haven't even raised the possibility of visiting you with Ciel yet!" he said in a strained tone. "I was expecting at least a day to receive your response and then a couple of days to organise." Alkippe snorted softly.

"I'm sure Ciel won't mind, will you dear?" Both males stiffened slightly, Sebastian in confusion and Ciel in shock. How had Sebastian's mother even noticed his presence! "Come on out, whilst Sebastian packs you can introduce me to your foal. I am very eager to meet him." Ciel sidled out from his hiding place, averting his eyes from Sebastian's. "Mara, you go and find the other animals and acquaint yourself with Ciel's home. You know your duty." Alkippe said before pushing Sebastian towards the stairs with a meaningful stare and tugging a bemused Ciel out of the door by the hand.

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Ciel couldn't help but stare to one side as he sat before Sebastian on Amaya.

He'd been confused when he had been faced with one horse he did not recognise stood placidly outside his stables. He had assumed that the bay roan stallion had either carried both of his visitors, or the Tortured – Mara – had walked beside her mistress. He thought nothing more on it as he introduced Alkippe to Amaya and Abra. Both horses nuzzled Sebastian's mother in welcome and Abra even went as far as to lean against the willowy woman. Whilst feeling slightly betrayed by the fact that Abraxas had not really greeted Ciel in favour of fawning over his guest, the demon child worked on saddling Amaya. The mare, at least, huffed a comforting breath through Ciel's coal blue locks when he patted her neck as thanks for helping him in his endeavour to get her ready to leave. When he turned to Alkippe and Abra, they were gone.

Once he lead Sebastian's mare outside, Ciel was surprised at first to see Sebastian loading the stallion with their luggage. Then he noticed a second mare stood beside Abra. She was very beautiful. Her coat was a glowing golden palomino, she was built delicately with long legs and wide golden eyes set in a slightly dished head. Her mane and tail were both glorious cascades of silver and each of her legs had flowing feathery silver fetlocks. Ciel pursed his lips, but chose to whistle for Abra instead of questioning the presence of the unfamiliar horse. The foal came across willingly and blew through his nose in response to Ciel's whistling. The boy smiled and soothingly stroked his hands down the horse's neck. As he went to slip Abra's halter over the small male's nose, Sebastian spoke up from tightening the baggage on the Stallion.

"He won't need that. He'll follow Amaya and mother." The older demon said.

"Oh. Okay." Ciel said, hanging the halter over a fence post. "Where is Alkippe, by the way?" Sebastian glanced up briefly.

"Behind you." He informed Ciel before turning back to his task. Quirking an eyebrow, Ciel turned around to come face to face with the new mare. He snorted to himself and reached out a hesitant hand to greet her. The mare immediately touched her nose to the boy's hand and breathed out softly, welcoming interaction. Ciel was surprised at how quickly he'd come to accept the sharp teeth as normal, not able to really recall horses being any different. As he scratched under the mare's chin, he spoke to the demon behind him.

"Really Sebastian, where is she? She was with me and the horses...then I turned around and she was gone. And who is this?" Sebastian swallowed an exasperated sigh, he was already feeling mixed up about the whole situation with Ciel, and the child's incessant questions were grating on his last nerve. As he was about to turn and answer his young master, Alkippe finally decided to make herself known.

"Ahhhh. Oh Ciel dear, thank you!" The boy leapt away from the golden mare as if he'd been bitten. "People always seem to forget that I like a good scratch under my chin as much as the next horse." Ciel goggled at the mare who swished her tail happily. "Just like Fi...Sebastian likes it when you tickle..."

"Mother! Enough of sharing personal details! _Thank_ you." Sebastian interrupted, gently tapping his mother's nose. "Ciel, Mother takes the form of a horse, clearly. Abra will follow her just fine. You'll be riding with me."

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During the journey to Sebastian's place of birth, Ciel stared at Alkippe. He hadn't even considered what her animal form might be. Abra frolicked around the two mares and the stallion, earning a few snaps from the male when the foal's antics got too irritating for him. His attention was drawn towards the large home when Alkippe suddenly cantered off to nuzzle against Artair's chest in greeting. Watching the large man greet his mate was heart warming. Ciel took in as much information about his surroundings as possible, wishing he could have left his contract bearing eye uncovered. The home was still set up as a stud farm. Many horses roamed the grounds and three foals skittered up to greet Alkippe affectionately before hesitantly attempting to make friends with Abraxas. Once Ciel turned his attention from the foals playing a game of chase, he saw that Alkippe was once more in her human form and four others had joined the couple near the entrance to the home.

Sebastian assisted Ciel from Amaya's back and handed his mare and the stallion to the two waiting Tortured before greeting his father. Artair hugged his son briefly and offered Ciel a warm smile. "Welcome to our home." He said in a deep, rumbling voice. Ciel nodded his thanks.

"Thank you for inviting us." He said politely, gaze drawn to the two others. After a few moments he recognised the man. "Verdelet! It's a pleasure to see you again." He said, surprised by the male's presence. His hair had been pulled back into a low tail, but his eyes and features were still filled with the warmth and good nature Ciel remembered from the party. Verdelet beamed at him before enfolding each of the new comers in turn with a hug and a smooch on each cheek.

"Fia...My apologies, Sebastian and Ciel!" he crowed before releasing Ciel and stepping back, grinning at the child's barely concealed disgust at the second part of his greeting. "It is a great joy to see you both again so soon after our last parting! You, youngling, have grown even in such a short time!" Ciel blushed faintly, his hands trying to surreptitiously wipe the kisses from his cheeks, and eyed the person Verdelet was ushering into the spot light. The child was taller than Ciel, but not as tall as Sebastian. Ciel could not determine whether it was a boy or a girl, but was struck by their beauty. Were all demons so utterly breath-takingly beautiful!

"This is Meri. Meri is a descended Cherub who I have recently taken under my care." Ciel noted the shocked intake of breath from Sebastian. "We'll let you get settled in and meet you at twilight." Verdelet announced, wrapped an arm around his charge and led Meri away, preventing Ciel from asking any questions of the pair.

"Sebastian, we have given you your old room. Ciel's room is directly across the hall from yours. We'll see you in the sun room at twilight. I'm sure you can find your way around." Alkippe said with a wink towards Ciel and left with her mate.

* * *

Sebastian could almost feel Ciel's curiosity as he bustled around, unpacking the child's belongings and tucking them away into the appropriate places. Ciel went to the window, obviously trying to hold back his questions by distracting himself with watching the horses. Sebastian grinned.

"You may ask your questions. I should be able to answer them." He said, hanging a coat up in the armoire. Ciel turned to Sebastian and blushed faintly.

"Meri...I can't...is Meri...uh..." Ciel couldn't figure out how to ask his question without sounding rude or dim-witted. Luckily for him, Sebastian seemed to understand what he was getting at.

"Cherubim are androgynous." Ciel's eyebrow quirked slightly. Sebastian decided to expand on his explanation. "The Cherubim are technically the children of heaven. Angels cannot reproduce; their younglings come from earth or simply appear. Since they cannot reproduce through...mating...they view it as committing a sin of the flesh. Angels do not carry out any bodily functions, they are beings of spirit. They don't eat or breathe or get ill; they have no need for any reproductive organs. When a cherub matures, they may chose to take on any gender they desire or remain with none at all. Angels do not change into animals like we do, though they do have the ability to hide their wings and switch between genders if you recall. The Cherubim are neither male nor female, though they tend to identify as one or the other. I would say that Meri would identify as male." Ciel blinked.

"Oh. Uh, why were you surprised when Verdelet introduced Meri?" the boy questioned. Sebastian was shocked that Ciel had noticed his slight startling at the information.

"Cherubim are even more revered in heaven than demon young are here. Angels are basically made of spirit, but Cherubim are even more pure and innocent. It is only the babes that leave earth before reaching a decade that become Cherubim. Meri must have been close to taking his final test before becoming a fully fledged angel when he descended, but still – he would have been treasured as all Cherubim are. I don't believe I have ever heard of a Cherub descending. They are given so much freedom and are so pure that they rarely even think of going against what they are taught. Meri must be classed as a black ranked demon. You are both alike in your rarity. I expect that is why Verdelet was asked to care for Meri; he is well liked but also deeply respected. He will make a good mentor and guardian for Meri." Ciel nodded quietly.

"Why are we here, Sebastian?" The raven haired demon paused briefly in the process of placing Ciel's undergarments and night clothes into an elaborate chest of drawers.

"My mother wanted to get to know you better. She is very excited to have a young one to dote upon again. I believe she was also pleased to have a reason to drag me back to the proverbial nest. It has been a great length of time since she had a chance to mother me. I am afraid you may bear the brunt of that. Father will likely question you about earth and will be thrilled if you'd share some of your stories with him. He should particularly enjoy the story of our time in Houndsworth. He is more distantly affectionate than Mother and I expect you will find him easy to get along with."

* * *

After Sebastian left, presumably to unpack his own belongings, Ciel sat on his bed and frowned thoughtfully. He couldn't help but feel that this trip was very well orchestrated. Something about the timing seemed off to him and he was concerned that perhaps his abrupt change in behaviour had been the catalyst. Though, he did recall Alkippe saying something about them getting to know each other better. He was happy to meet someone of his own age, though he was slightly perturbed by the way he immediately thought Meri was beautiful.

Now he was alone in the quiet, Ciel took the opportunity to attempt identifying what made the descended Cherub so appealing. When recalling the other's eyes, Ciel was reminded of his singular trip to the seaside. When he was young, his and Lizzie's family had journeyed to the South West. The rolling green countryside had been such a fascinating change from London. Though the journey had been long and tiresome, they had arrived at their holiday home. Mount Edgcumbe house had extensive grounds where Vincent and Lizzie's father could hunt deer. The children and their mothers spent a great deal of time enjoying the views from the east lawn terrace. From there was a fascinating view of the sea. The city of Plymouth had a naturally formed harbour; it was a popular place for holiday makers with its pier and aquarium on the barbican. But, though Ciel enjoyed the days out, it was the sea that fascinated him.

It never looked the same over two days. It changed colour, sometimes it was still, sometimes it was so choppy that watching it made Ciel reel. The sea could be a startlingly clear blue, a murky green or even a stormy grey. Though the boy had travelled by ship a few times, that trip to Plymouth had been his only leisurely journey. After that, it was all for business. Meri's eyes reminded Ciel of the sea. They were green and blue and grey. In fact, even Meri's hair reminded him of the beaches in Cornwall, the yellowy sand and subtle tones of the pebbles. Perhaps this identification with the seaside bought up pleasant memories and therefore mixed with Ciel's reaction to Meri's appearance to say he was beautiful. Other than that, Ciel could not explain his immediate decision on defining the descended cherub as beautiful.

After a few minutes of silence, standing at the window and watching the horses, Ciel heard a timid tap at his door. Turning with a frown, he walked across the room. It hadn't sounded like Sebastian's usual polite knock at all. Upon opening the door, Ciel was surprised to see Meri standing there looking nervous. Ciel took a few seconds to clear his mind of all contemplation of the other's beauty before smiling politely and nodding in greeting. Meri shuffled his feet slightly then bowed his head briefly in return. "I hope I am not disturbing you." He said, his voice even reminding Ciel of the hushing of sleepy waves upon the shore. "Verdelet has been speaking of you a lot, and I was wondering whether we might take a walk in the grounds, I should very much like to get to know you. You are the first of the demon young I have yet met, though I am aware that you and I are rather unique in our own ways." Ciel felt a more natural smile grace his lips.

"I would be most pleased to take a walk with you Meri. You are also the first demon child I have met, if one does not count the babes in arms. It will be pleasant to get to know you. Do we have time to go now?"

"Oh yes, twilight is not for another hour or so yet." Meri said before offering his arm out to Ciel. The blue haired male peered up at the sandy haired other quizzically, it was a gesture Ciel was accustomed to making to Lizzie, and was not sure how to react when the gesture was made to him. Especially since he was most definitely not wearing a dress. After pondering briefly, he accepted the gesture though slightly uncomfortably. After all, if genders did not exist amongst the cherubim, perhaps such formalities depended upon height. And though Ciel had indeed grown, he was still noticeably shorter than Meri. The descended cherub beamed down at his companion and led Ciel down the stairs and out into the stud farm which surrounded the house.

* * *

**A.N – **Thank you for your patience and continued support. University is a huge culture shock from college, I'm basically a fresher taking my final year of the course, so everything is difficult and exhausting. I've also been ill all week but still dragging myself into lectures which I really can't afford to miss, so I am half dead!

I just wanted to say that Meri, I believe, means sea. I thought it was a unisex name, but after looking it up after about 2 weeks of first naming Meri, I can only find it as a girl's name. Oh well!

Also, the information I gave about Ciel's holiday to the seaside is based on my own limited knowledge of Plymouth in the Victorian era. Mount Edgecombe house really does exist, it's in Cornwall I believe but does overlook Plymouth Sound. And there was indeed an aquarium on Plymouth's waterfront in Ciel's time, but it now serves as the marine biological association's headquarters and a new aquarium was built nearby which contains what I believe is the biggest tank in either the UK or Europe. The pier no longer exists, but in Ciel's time you'd have all the posh tourists 'promenading' down it.

Sorry for the huge A.N! I can't say when the next chapter will be up, hopefully before Christmas! I hope you all enjoy any and all holidays that you celebrate between now and my next update!

**Dreamy xxx**


	17. Epiphany

**A.N – **Oooh, quick update! I forgot to disclaim the last chapter *hangs head in shame*

**Disclaimer – **Under no circumstances is this work of FANfiction to be misconstrued as a proclamation of ownership over the art or storyline of the Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) manga or anime...or any other affiliated merchandise/actors/costumes etc etc. Thanks!

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Ciel and Meri walked in silence for a short while, but the silence was swiftly broken by a running dialogue in a voice which so strongly echoed the song of the sea, the kind heard when one held a seashell to one's ear. Meri introduced Ciel to the horses, talked about their varying characters and the small aspects of training that Alkippe had shown to him. Ciel was stricken by the beauty of his companion, utterly entranced by the once-cherub's voice, the column of his neck as he tilted his head back in tinkling laughter, the way his eyes shone. This being fascinated Ciel in a way none other had before. Not even Ciel's confused feelings towards Sebastian could compare, Meri enraptured Ciel utterly. The heat of him as they walked side by side, arm in arm was comforting and made Ciel relax fully for the first time since he had experienced the first night of wet sheets. Meri's demeanour was gentle, he was very attentive to the small male and had a soft smile lighting his face as they walked. After they'd explored the grounds and shared small conversation, Meri led Ciel to a seat carved intricately from a fallen tree trunk which was behind the house. It stood beside a large pond from which the horses drank. The pair's attention was drawn to Abra who was chasing after a speckled black and white filly, but soon Meri turned to Ciel with a slightly apologetic expression, mixed with curiosity.

"Ciel. I hope you do not mind me asking, and please say if you would rather not speak of such things...but I have heard a lot of talk about you. Verdelet is frequently making social calls and I am taken along. They seem to think I'm some airhead and happily talk while I'm around as though I were simply an ornament. One woman gave me a set of carved figurines to play with!" Ciel quirked an eyebrow at the slight deviation from Meri's original topic. The sandy haired child blushed faintly and cleared his throat. "Anyway. I wanted to ask...were you once truly a human?"

Ciel was shocked by this question to say the least. He had assumed that everyone would either be able to tell by his scent or something equally as bizarre, or presume him Sebastian's offspring or some foundling. He sat quietly for a while, contemplating his answer before choosing to nod. After all, he knew of Meri's origins, it was only fair to share his. "Yes. I was human. A female demon changed me at her master's order." He decided to keep his ties to Sebastian to himself.

"Then you really _are _Ciel, Earl of Phantomhive." Meri's words were a statement so Ciel chose to remain silent. "I watched you for a while as a child. You and your cousin, you always made me wish that I were human. The other cherubim tended to leave me to my own devices; it seemed to me that humans were better off. I suppose it is what resulted in my descent." Ciel spluttered.

"You watched me?" he squawked. Meri chortled and ruffled the boy's hair slightly.

"Mmmm. There isn't much to do in heaven when one is not in class. I watched many people on earth, always children; it made me feel less lonely for a while. I remembered your name because it means heaven, and Phantomhive has such a unique ring to it. I remember how you seemed to contrast with the little girl, her hair so bright against yours...and yet you were both so filled with joy."

Ciel shifted in his seat slightly, feeling bizarrely uncomfortable with such talk of his childhood. Meri continued, his sea hued eyes boring into Ciel's brighter blue.

"Then, is it also true that you made a contract with a demon?" He asked quietly. Ciel bit his inner lip and nodded slowly. Meri leaned towards him, their faces inches apart, and his voice lowered as though he were revealing some big secret. "I have heard it said that Sebastian spent decades on earth, serving human after human. Then, it was as though he disappeared, until he arrived at Verdelet's party. With you, and a new name."

Ciel's heart was sitting uncomfortably in his throat. He couldn't decide whether it was caused by the words about Sebastian or the unbearable closeness of the descended cherub. Meri seemed to _glow_ in the light of the fading sun; his eyes had changed to the haziest shade of bluish grey with a tight ring of teal about the pupil. And his breath fanned across Ciel's face, unusual in its coolness, its scent was surely not truly like that of the sea breeze!

* * *

Sebastian was aware that he was technically _hiding_ within his chambers, from his mother perhaps, or Ciel. He felt oddly nostalgic at the sight of his large, canopied bed. The silken black sheets accented with filaments of red. The canopy, which matched the heavy curtains at the window, gleamed in the candlelight like oil on water. Sebastian had swiftly tidied his belongings away and was warmed by the sight of his own clothes from so long ago still hanging safely in the wardrobe. His eyes scanned the neatly arranged clothing then drifted down to his own current ensemble. With an uncharacteristic squirm of excitement, Sebastian began shedding his clothing as he searched for a _comfortable_, casual outfit. It didn't even have to be casual, just something other than the butler's uniform he'd existed in for longer than he cared to remember. The very first article of clothing he laid his hands on was a pair of tight fitting, dark charcoal grey jeans with a very slight flare at the hem. Sebastian sighed as he slipped them on over his pale legs, relishing in the sensation of the denim. The jeans hugged his hips alluringly and he would bet pretty much anything that they made his _ass_ look _**hot**_.

Smirking his trademark smirk, Sebastian selected a deep red leather belt and threaded it through his belt loops before clasping the silver raven shaped buckle. He paused for a second at that moment and considered wandering around the house in just his jeans. It felt good to be in something different. Deciding to take a while to enjoy his state of undress before taking Ciel to the sun room, Sebastian crossed the room to stand at his window and anticipated a wave of nostalgia and memories at the familiar scenery. What he did not expect to see was his Young master sat with the descended cherub, the pair were very close together, their heads inches apart. Sebastian glared down at the two children, taking in the sight of the midnight blue hair alongside the shining gold and growled. Before he had chance to pause and contemplate the situation, he had grabbed some form of shirt and thrown it over his head, jammed his feet into a pair of very well worn, black clunky boots and was tearing down the stairs and out into the descending dusk.

* * *

At the sound of Sebastian's approach, Ciel looked up. At the sight of his butler, he shot to his feet, cheeks pinkening. Sebastian snarled at the obvious signs of guilt and bared his teeth at Meri who simply smiled at the raven demon sweetly.

"Se...Sebastian?" Glowing red eyes switched from Meri to Ciel. The small boy's visible eye was wide as it scanned up and down Sebastian's body. "What...are you wearing?" he asked softly, cheeks now noticeably pink. Sebastian blinked and felt a warm sensation flood him in replacement of the burning anger.

"Jeans." He explained briefly, having identified the bulk of Ciel's attention was on his legs, before turning back to Meri. He could still feel the tingling warmth flowing through his veins, but the anger returned at the sight of the not-so-innocent once cherub. "What do you think you are doing?" Sebastian hissed at Meri in the tongue of angels. The young one quirked an eyebrow in surprise and query. "He does not understand that you are not merely being polite, how could you betray his trust like that?" Meri snorted and responded in the same language.

"And just what is it you are accusing me of?" he asked coldly, eyes seeming to become sharper and more green.

Just as he was about to respond, Sebastian felt a feather light touch to his left thigh. Startling slightly, he glanced down to be met with a surprising sight. Ciel was crouched beside him, one hand delicately tracing over the fabric of Sebastian's jeans. Before either he or Meri could say anything, Ciel (oblivious to the scrutiny) pressed his cheek against Sebastian's leg so that his uncovered eye could discern the weave of the fabric. His other hand joined the first, trailing up and down the trouser leg in fascination of the bumpy, rough yet soft and pleasing texture of the unusual pantaloons.

Sebastian's breath caught in his throat as a big blue eye set in a soft pale face turned up to look at him, even as the two hands continued to caress his leg. Ciel tilted his head to one side curiously.

"What are ...jeans?" he asked, voice soft and innocent and so very unlike his usual tones. Sebastian swallowed past an uncomfortable lump in his throat and wet his lips swiftly with his tongue.

"They are...trousers." he supplied whilst his mind raced a mile a minute. What in all the lands of Earth, Heaven and Hell was wrong with him! "They are made out of a fabric called denim." When did _Ciel_ start to even begin to be appealing? "Denim is a cotton twill textile, dyed and woven to create this texture." How would Sebastian manage to control himself if this sudden attraction to his master was not a one off? What if it was going to be permanent?

"Oh." Ciel said, standing after running his hand up Sebastian's thigh one last time. "Why have I not heard of them before?" Sebastian quickly averted his eyes from the boy and tensed as they landed on Meri who looked both highly amused and slightly upset, hand clenched as though restraining himself from reaching out and dragging Ciel away from Sebastian.

"They haven't reached Earth yet. Pretty much all of the best fashion originates here." Sebastian was staring daggers at Meri. He would not allow that disgusting being to tamper with Ciel's innocence and newly developed trust, he couldn't allow the once cherub to sink his hooks into his Young Master. Sebastian did not intend to share. If, by some freak bout of luck, he and Ciel ever had a chance to become closer than even friends ... Sebastian could not risk anyone or anything causing him any problems. Ciel was his, even if only as one marked by his crest and bound in contract. Ciel may view Sebastian as belonging to him, Master and Butler, but _he was Sebastian's_ and no one could be allowed to jeopardise his ownership.

* * *

The sun room fascinated Ciel. It was painted to show the progress of the sun by the colours it turned the sky. Around the mouldings at the ceiling were delicate diagrams about the sun, about stars and their journeys across the heavens. The young demon decided that he liked this room, although the quality of light filtering in through the many windows was making the blue haired boy sleepy. Luckily, not much was required of him. Alkippe had insisted that all of her guests treat her home as their own, and forced Ciel to eat a very sumptuous yet light meal of toasted bread with cheese. The boy had been surprised but pleased with the distinct apple flavour. Having consumed the snack, Ciel proceeded to select the squishiest seat in the warm rays of the fading sun and curled up like a sleepy kitten, heavy eye drifting open and closed as the adults talked. Meri sat nearby, his gaze alternating between Sebastian and Ciel, occasionally chiming in with his own conversational contribution.

After an indistinguishable amount of time fighting off sleep, Ciel felt Meri's warm body join him on his seat. Soon after, the other boy's cool breath swept of Ciel's face. "You can sleep you know, no one will mind." With a gentle sigh of acquiescence and pleasure, Ciel allowed his eye to close. He let out a small sound, halfway protesting, halfway pleased at the sensation of Meri running his fingers through soft coal smoke blue locks. The motion was soothing and calming and felt so nice, but it was also uncomfortable to have an acquaintance, no matter how beautiful and charming, to behave in such a familiar way. Ciel grumbled something half heartedly, already on the cusp of sleep. He heard the rumbling tones of Sebastian's father's voice, then the lilting of Alkippe's in reply. Meri's voice was closer and yet oddly muffled as he made some comment or other. Ciel sighed; he just wanted to sleep in peace. He was so tired, and all thoughts of having to stay awake to prevent dreaming had fled him.

Oddly, when the warm, deep voice that belonged to Sebastian echoed through Ciel's hazy mind in muted volume, he could pick out every single word and was warmed by them. "I will take him to his room. He has not been sleeping well; it seems that your home exudes peace and comfort Mother." Ciel smiled at the affection in the last part of his Butler's sentence. Alkippe responded with a girlish laugh and Ciel relaxed yet further as familiar fingers brushed Meri's away from his hair. When comforting arms cradled and lifted him, Ciel smiled faintly and snuggled into Sebastian's chest, pressing his nose against the satiny fabric of the wine red shirt the man had donned over the jeans. A chuckle rumbled through Sebastian's chest at a comment made by Verdelet, but Ciel was happy to let the vibrations soothe him off into peaceful sleep.

* * *

Sebastian gently removed his master's clothing and dressed his pliant form in night clothes. After he had tucked Ciel under the covers of the bed, he allowed his gaze to linger on the boy's face. He observed the signs of his approaching adulthood, the smallest of changes that began to show the delicate cheekbones as baby fat melted away. Ciel was beautiful, whilst awake and asleep. Sebastian smiled a small, self mocking smile. Who would have imagined he would fall for his once human master? In his sleep, Ciel stirred slightly before one arm flung itself from its downy prison to splay across the pillows. Sebastian chuckled then, breathing as silently as he could, bent low over his master's sleeping form. He tucked the locks of hair that fell around his face behind his ears to prevent them from tickling the peaceful face and very softly pressed a caring kiss to the young lord's forehead.

"Pleasant dreams, Ciel."

* * *

As the door to his bedroom closed behind the tall figure of his butler, a small smile graced Ciel's lips. His eyes opened briefly and blinked slowly before closing.

"Good night, Sebastian."

* * *

**A.N – **LOL, you guys! I can't believe how quickly I wrote this chapter! I was half writing an essay for my 'Internet Culture and Psychology' class, half writing this chapter. It took me less than a week! Like, seriously...4 days? I held back on posting it though, due to my dad returning from his (hopefully) last tour of duty in a war zone. He's been home for a day now, but me and my mum did a super clean of the house to prevent him from going all military on us and blitzing the house in a cleaning frenzy. On those occasions you have no _idea_ how much stuff he simply throws away! Heehee.

SO! It's firework night. My family is having our firework display tomorrow, I'm really excited, it's the first I've ever had! We've never done our own fireworks, although – living near Plymouth – we usually see the big summer firework competition. So long as it's not raining! Lol.

I'm gonna post this chapter tonight. I wondered about holding off because I really do not know when the next chapter will be. I've gotta dive back into uni work and deal with my father being home after 6 months of relative peace and quiet. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Thanks, as always, to my fabulous reviewers. I also offer thanks to my shy alerters and favouriters. I promise, I don't snack on my reviewers, I luurrrrve them...so, do feel free to review! Seriously, reviews help me write.

Loves ya!

**Dreamy xxx**


	18. Outdoor Activities

**A.N – **Happy Christmas Eve! I hope you all enjoy inconceivable amounts of delicious food and a happy few days with the family playing silly games and napping off all the aforementioned delicious food. This is my Christmas gift to you. I love you all! XD

**Disclaimer – **I do not own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler. I found the manga the other day and sadly had to put it down since I am a poor student with no spendies at the moment. I am OBVIOUSLY not making any money from this fanfiction. It's simply a way to clear out some of the creative backlog in my soul! :)

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

When Ciel awoke, he felt heavy. His limbs were splayed out to stretch and take up the most of his bed as possible but he could not move them. And yet, he found he did not care. In fact, it was rather amusing to glance at one's hand and watch one's fingers ignore the command to wiggle, not even a wearily obedient twitch. Ciel felt wonderful, refreshed and supremely happy, he couldn't find it in himself to care that his stomach was rumbling in request of breakfast, nor that it seemed to be late in the morning and Sebastian had not yet bought him his morning cup of tea. He was quite content to remain still, which was just as well considering his leaden limbs. The boy couldn't quite pinpoint the reason for the lazy smile on his face, but decided after a few moments of thought that it was due to the first proper night's sleep in what felt like forever. He could barely recall being moved from the sun room to his chambers, but he had slept well. A deep, peaceful sleep lacking the dreams which had been tormenting him. Ahh, sleep was just what the doctor ordered! It was amazing stuff that could make you feel like...the sky after a storm, clean and refreshed, even if you were pinned to the bed by your unresponsive limbs.

It did not take long for Ciel to allow his eyes to drift closed again; after all, there was not much else for him to do. If his stomach began to growl too loudly he could always call out for Sebastian. Although it appeared he would not have to for, just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard his door open quietly and the soft footsteps which followed crossed the room towards his bed. Ciel let a lazy smile cross his face, keeping his eyes closed as he tried to figure out what Sebastian was bringing him for breakfast. Oddly, he couldn't smell any food, nor his morning tea, just a faintly salty tang to the air. As Ciel was about to crack open his eyes, a voice caused him to squeeze them shut tighter.

"So, you sleep like a starfish, huh?" Meri chuckled, hands on hips as he peered down at the blue haired male still in bed. Ciel ground his teeth; the words oddly reminded him of Soma.

"Meri, what are you doing in my room?" he asked slowly, trying to remain calm. He heard the once-cherub shift his weight and felt his cool breath fan over his face, as though he were peering right down at him.

"Well, Alkippe asked me to get you up for breakfast." He chimed. Ciel frowned.

"Why...uh, Meri, could you pass me my eye patch please?" he began to continue their conversation, but felt awkward with the lack of eye contact.

"Ah, it's ok, you can just open your eyes; it won't bother me!" Meri's voice was both cheerful and curious.

"No!" Ciel snapped, remembering Sebastian's warning about keeping their contract hidden. He sucked in a calming breath and continued in a more even tone. "I mean, I would rather not. It...it bothers me, I feel...out of sorts without it on."

"Oh...okay." Meri sounded disappointed but placed the silken eye patch into Ciel's open palm. Ciel once again tried to move, but his limbs were still not co-operating.

"Meri, I can't move my arms." Ciel said quietly. His visitor laughed gently and reached out to help shift the limbs from their stricken position.

"You probably sent them to sleep by staying in the same position so long, my little star fish!" he chirped. As he said 'starfish', Ciel sat up and scowled at him with both eyes closed.

Whilst Ciel tied the strings around his head, Meri continued his dialogue. "Artair convinced Verdelet and Sebastian to go fishing with him in the early hours of the morning, Sebastian didn't really want to go but Alkippe shot him this _look_ and he caved, but made sure to remind her that you needed to eat and left this _enormous_ list of your favourite foods and stuff. It's kinda cute how he dotes on you, he must really like you!"

Ciel blushed as he opened his uncovered eye. Meri had plunked himself onto Ciel's mattress and was sitting cross legged as he stared at him. When he'd climbed onto the bed, Ciel did not know - he hadn't even felt the shift in extra weight. Meri smiled brightly at the sight of Ciel's bright blue eye.

"Sooooo, Alkippe has made you some breakfast! And then she said she had to go...shopping or something, I dunno, and said we were free to do whatever. SO! I thought that you could eat your breakfast and then we could go for a ride?" Ciel stared at Meri blankly. "I guess you can ride, right? We don't have to go far or quickly, I just thought it'd be nice to get out."

* * *

If there was a vice that Artair possessed, it was fishing. Sebastian never understood the appeal himself, as demons they did not need to _eat_ the fish, but Artair very rarely released anything he caught. This was most likely due to the fact that almost every fish Sebastian's father caught either died upon being captured, or was at least mortally wounded. Artair disdained the use of nets or rods; he used the natural weapons at his disposal alongside his muscles to catch fish. Sebastian had never seen his father fish in his human form. He supposed that when he himself took on the form of a raven that he occasionally indulged in consuming a berry, a bug, a frog. Artair's obsession with fishing far exceeded this passing curiosity Sebastian's animal form had with sustenance.

Sebastian had not wanted to go fishing with his father in the slightest. The past time didn't entertain him; he found it irritating and dull rather than exciting and relaxing. And there was the fact that he had had to leave Ciel back at his parents' home with Meri...though he could at least be thankful that Alkippe was there to watch over the young ones. He hadn't even arrived at Artair's favourite fishing spot before an unusual ache situated itself in the centre of his chest, he knew that this was going to be the most tedious, dragging fishing trip he had ever endured. At least Verdelet was enjoying himself. For one who had know Sebastian's family for so long, the demon of celebrations had clearly never seen Artair's animal form. He hadn't even taken his fishing equipment from its case, he was simply stood staring at Artair who was stood belly deep in the water, standing completely still and watching the water intently.

Sebastian had to admit, Artiar's animal form was striking. He was large and muscled, his beady black eyes lively and intelligent. His fur was unusual, deep russet red with black and white markings around his face and legs. When wet his fur became straggly, but it simply helped Artair to blend into his surroundings. He became as still as a trapped log and the fish did not know he was there until it was too late. Out of all Earth's creatures, Artair most resembled a polar bear, if not a bit larger. His fur, obviously, deviated from the snow coloured earth bears, but Sebastian knew that were his father to choose to colour his fur white, then he would look identical to a polar bear.

Whilst the raven demon mused on such thoughts, Artair caught twelve fish and devoured eight. Verdelet had managed to hook two, but lost the first. His second catch, after much struggle to reel it in, turned out to be nothing more than a pale chub. Verdelet was thrilled with his achievement though and baited his hook again.

Sebastian sat on a rock upstream from his father and his father's friend, merely watching the water passing by him. He couldn't help but feel a nagging sensation telling him that something was not right and that he should return to his parents' home and check on Ciel. He ignored it for a long while, it felt nothing like his young master summoning him and he reasoned to himself that there was nothing to worry about; Alkippe was able to care for both young ones and keep her eye on them.

* * *

Ciel was slumped in Amaya's saddle, feeling faint and cursing his lack of foresight. Meri had cantered ahead on his white stallion to the top of a hill to see the view and though Ciel had intended to follow, he had instead slowed his mount's steps. They had been riding for about an hour by that point and Ciel was not feeling too great. Although Alkippe had prepared the most delicious batch of crepes for him to enjoy with fruits and sugar, that breakfast was not preventing the feeling in his stomach. Ciel was hungry, but no mortal sustenance would suffice.

How could he be so foolish? He knew that being outside a home would result in his becoming hungry, and Sebastian wasn't here to dull the blossoming pain in his midriff. His head was spinning and there was very little chance of him making an hour's ride back to Alkippe and Artair's home. The sound of rapid hoof beats drew Ciel's attention to Meri who pulled his horse to a halt close by. The once-cherub's glowing smile dimmed at the sight of Ciel's posture and pallid skin. Ciel scowled. How could he feel so weak and yet Meri, who was also a demon child, was still fine?

"Ciel? What's wrong?" Meri asked in concern.

"I'm hungry." The blue haired male grunted, narrowing his eyes as Meri's bewildered expression.

"But you just ate!" he exclaimed.

"Not _that_ kind of hunger." Ciel hissed and stared at his companion as his original blank expression cleared into one of comprehension. "Why aren't you?" he questioned. Meri shrugged.

"I haven't really been out of a demon home for any prolonged length of time before now." He replied, prodding at his lower lip in thought. "I guess...angels and cherubim are purely soul. We don't have a proper physical form unless we leave heaven. Maybe my body had hoarded the energy of my soul? And is feeding off that still?"

Ciel frowned. "I need to get back...I don't know how long I can manage without feeding."

"It's a long way...and what if you collapse or something?" Meri's eyes were wide. Ciel simply shrugged. They began their journey back, Ciel feeling the concerned aquamarine gaze levelled at him every time his swayed or pressed his hands to his writhing stomach.

* * *

After a while, Sebastian managed to quell his concerns and relaxed into the monotony of fishing. At least, he watched the other two men fish and allowed his gaze to be attracted to each shining flash of silver scales. It was a pleasant day and Sebastian was happy to be spending time with his father, it had been much too long and he really had not realised how much he missed his parents until arriving at their home the day previous. It was a nice change in routine, someone new to converse with and Sebastian especially enjoyed the time to himself to sort out his new thoughts and feelings towards Ciel. If he'd been at Ciel's home when he discovered such troublesome emotions welling up inside him, Sebastian was not certain that he could have kept up his usual behaviour. He'd have hated to ruin his relationship with Ciel over something as foolish as infatuation. No, it was best that he figure himself out before situating himself in a place which forced him to be utterly alone with his Young Master.

Sebastian's attention was drawn from his thoughts and the darting silver fish by movement from his father. The great bear had, of course, been moving since they'd arrived, however this time he headed towards the bank. Knowing that Artair wouldn't stop fishing so soon after arriving, Sebastian glanced across to see where his father was aiming to reach. Alkippe stood there in a floating aqua gown, smiling serenely as her hair caught the sunlight and reflected it back the colour of starlight and moonbeams. Sebastian's eyes began to search for Ciel, his heartbeat quickening at the thought of the young demon. The child was not immediately within sight so Sebastian stood from his perch on the rock to see better. He couldn't help but to smile fondly at the sight of the bear that was his father bending down to press its forehead against his mother's chest with the utmost care and affection. Still Ciel could not be seen and Sebastian resorted to crossing over to his mother, eyes darting around with renewed panic. Where was his young master!

"Mother, where is Ciel?" he asked slowly, forcing his voice to remain soft and steady. Alkippe looked up from where she'd been planting affectionate kisses all over the crown of Artair's furry head.

"He's at home with Meri, dear. I think Meri said something about going for a ride. It's ok, I made sure to leave him some breakfast. I must say it's very exciting to cook human..." Alkippe trailed off at the sight of the stricken expression her son was levelling her with.

"What!" Sebastian's voice was shrill, though he appeared to be preventing himself from shouting. "Ciel and Meri...on a ride...What?" Alkippe's lovely golden eyes widened at the signs of panic in her child's usual calm demeanour.

"Sweetheart." She cooed soothingly, crossing over to Sebastian and cupping his cheeks. "I'm sure they will be fine. As I said, Ciel had breakfast, so he won't be hungry until..."

"No! No mother. He gets hungry like a demon child too!" Alkippe gazed at him, clearly not comprehending the cause for his concern. However, after a short while, her features registered her understanding.

"Oh." She whispered, pulling back from her son, eyes wide and guilt ridden. "Oh, Sebastian! I am so sorry! I didn't realise." She said, voice echoing the guilt she felt. Sebastian swooped over to crush her in a hug.

"It's not your fault. But, I have to go and find him. I'll see you at the house." He said before speeding off, following the call of his contract.

* * *

Meri had ended up leading Amaya by the reins; worried eyes glancing from the path to the boy slumped in her saddle, swaying and pale. "Ciel. I could feed you." He said softly, pulling both horses to a halt. A bleary blue eye opened to stare at Meri.

"What are you talking about? You're just a child. You can't feed me." Ciel scoffed, his voice weak and airy.

"No, I think it would be fine. Just enough to help you get home." Meri said, dismounting and reaching to pull Ciel from his mount.

"No, I'm fine!" Ciel whined, feeble fingers clinging to the saddle's pommel. Meri tutted and very swiftly, but with incredible care, slid Ciel out of the saddle and into his arms.

"It'll be fine. Just a little feeding so you can make it safely back to Alkippe's home." Ciel's heart and mind cried out against this course of action, but his body registered only the soft pair of lips slowly descending to meet his own. Meri's tongue darted out to wet his lips, completely ignoring Ciel's feeble squirms.

"No..." Ciel whimpered, completely confused by the two opposing desires raging within him. His stomach wanted food _**now**_, never mind who did the feeding. But Ciel's mind was thoroughly disgusted by the notion of kissing Meri, despite how beautiful and captivating he was. And his heart agreed - he only wanted Sebastian to be the one to do this with him.

Squeezing his eye tightly shut, Ciel threw his mind out, calling for Sebastian to come to him. Meri's lips were pressed against his and Ciel cringed at the gentle prodding of the other's tongue as it attempted to gain entrance to his mouth. This didn't feel right. Meri was being too insistent to simply be attempting to feed him. There was much too much emotion and desire involved for this to simply be a platonic, friend helping friend situation. Ciel writhed in Meri's arms, unsure of where he drew this tiny reserve of energy from, but regretted wasting it as the once-cherub continued to hold him as though he were laying pliant.

It was wrong. Ciel's mind continued to cry out as Meri became yet more demanding about gaining entrance into Ciel's mouth. "C'mon Ciel. Just ..."

"Put. Him. Down." Ciel's eye flew open at the sound of Sebastian's voice, barely restrained anger and possessiveness making it harsh. Meri took a step away from the older demon.

"I was just trying to help." He protested, skinny yet strong arms winding around Ciel tightly. Despite the anger apparent in his voice, when Sebastian pulled Ciel from the other child's arms, he was gentle. He cradled the boy to his chest and stared down at Meri with an expression which spoke his anger, disgust and worry.

"You will not touch him again. He did not welcome your 'help'. You should not have forced him." With that, Sebastian spun around and walked a distance away, clucking his tongue for Amaya to follow. "I'm very sorry, Ciel." Sebastian said, eyes widening as his young master grabbed at his face and pulled him down into a deep kiss. Ciel dove into Sebastian's mouth with his tongue, tasting and prodding at the older demon's tongue in a plea for response. When Sebastian simply remained passive Ciel pulled away slightly, though his hands still held his butler's face.

"Sebastian, I am so very hungry. I forgot...I'm...sorry." His cheeks reddened as he apologised, but he felt that his actions – which had led to Sebastian's worry – deserved some form of repentance. He'd been foolish.

Sebastian was fighting with himself. Due to his realisation that he found Ciel attractive, he was concerned about getting carried away with feeding Ciel...after all, it _was_ a kiss. He just hadn't really thought of it that way before. However, seeing Ciel's apologetic pout and pink blushing cheeks threw all caution to the wind and Sebastian leant down to capture Ciel's lips softly. The boy sighed and relaxed into Sebastian's arms, yet held onto his face tighter, threading his fingers into the silken black locks of hair and tugging gently when Sebastian's soft gentle kisses simply weren't enough.

"More?" Ciel questioned shyly, voice slightly muffled as Sebastian chose that particular moment to invade the boy's mouth, tongue exploring all it could reach and erasing all memory of Meri's attempt to gain access. Ciel purred as he attempted to arch closer to Sebastian, his own tongue joining in the dance. He was tingling and blissfully happy. This was not like any other time Sebastian had fed him; it felt more...caring, as though it wasn't a simple act of feeding. Be this wishful thinking or by some miracle – the truth, Ciel didn't care. He clung to Sebastian desperately, revelling in the citrusy taste of the soul Sebastian had consumed, mixed with a more clove-like flavour, perhaps from a different soul or maybe from Sebastian himself. Eventually, however, Ciel's body pulled him into sleep, well fed and sated.

* * *

When Sebastian returned to his parents' home, Meri was also there, sat beside Alkippe, sulking. Sebastian glowered at the once-cherub and carried the still sleeping Ciel to his room. The child didn't stir as he was disrobed, briefly bathed with a cloth and dressed in sleep clothes. Sebastian stroked the child's soft hair from his face and wondered at the warm feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. It seemed that this was not a mere infatuation.

As Sebastian brushed a soft kiss to Ciel's slightly parted lips and turned to leave the room, a pale hand reached out to grasp his shirt's hem. Surprised at the action when he'd thought the boy to be in a deep sleep, Sebastian turned. Two eyes gleamed brightly in the dim light. "Stay?" Ciel murmured in an almost whisper. Sebastian nodded slowly before slipping from the room. Ciel sat upright, staring after his butler in confusion. Just as he was about to call for him, Sebastian returned, clad in silk nightclothes.

"Lay back down, Ciel. You need to sleep." Sebastian said, sliding obediently beneath the sheets that Ciel lifted invitingly. For a while the pair laid side by side, both staring at the ceiling, listening to the breathing of the other. Slowly, Ciel began to inch towards his butler's form, craving the warmth he exuded but feeling painfully shy and uncertain. In the end, Sebastian snorted quietly in amusement and reached out an arm to pull Ciel to his side. The child blushed and rested his head against the warm chest, listening to Sebastian's heartbeat as it lulled him closer and closer towards sleep.

* * *

**A.N - **3496 words! Well, I was determined to finish this before Christmas. It is now 1:36 am Christmas Eve. I'll post this later as I need to at least skim read it before posting. I really wanted to write a Christmassy chapter but decided that it wouldn't really fit the timeline. *shrugs* You get a nice chapter with fluff instead! Hope you all enjoy whatever you celebrate. And may the New Year bring you lots of light, laughter and love!

PS. I'm really sorry if I missed out on replying to your review for the last chapter. You'd think someone on a computing course would manage to change email addresses without losing a bunch of emails. But I managed to get super confused. There's a big difference between hotmail which I've used since I was 13 and gmail which I was only introduced to late last month. Review replies should return to normal with this chapter!

PPS – I think I've just discovered the way to reply through instead of emails! Yay! I hope you all receive a reply.

_**Dreamy xxx**_


	19. Pestering and Pianos

**A.N – **I love my reviewers SO MUCH! You guys support me like...gah! You're fabulous and you're keeping the story alive. Every time I read a review, I want to write more. Thank you for being so fabulous!

**Disclaimer - **As always I am sad to profess that the characters of Ciel and Sebastian are not my own. I am borrowing them. I don't think they mind too much.

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**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Lying in a bed for more than a couple of hours was unusual experience, and Sebastian couldn't fight off the feeling that he should be doing something. He knew that, at his parents' home, he had no tasks, but this kind of enforced relaxation was something Sebastian had not encountered before. He felt anxious and fidgety, especially since he'd actually slept for three whole hours and had extra energy to expend. He remained still however, eyes shifting from the ceiling, to the window, to the gleaming charcoal blue head of hair which was resting on his sternum. At some point during Sebastian's luxurious sleep, Ciel had shifted from his side to half sprawl across him as though he were a living pillow. The sight of his small master's upper body rising and falling to the rhythm of Sebastian's breathing made the demon feel bizarrely warm and happy. The child had one hand clutching a fistful of Sebastian's night shirt and one leg entwined about one of Sebastian's legs. To anyone else, it would likely appear almost erotic. However, knowing Ciel so well, Sebastian had the feeling that Ciel's positioning was more to do with siphoning off as much body heat from Sebastian as possible, than any kind of affectionate or subconsciously lustful contact.

Whilst his young master slept, Sebastian took the time to attempt organising his thoughts and feelings. It shocked him to realise how much he had grown to care for Ciel. From having first considered him a meal, Sebastian had developed interest in the tiny human, and then he'd grown somewhat possessive and even protective. He had come to feel fond of the child, wanting something more than their master, servant/almost fatherly figure type relationship. Sebastian had wanted a friendship between himself and his master. But this new development, this affection and –he had to admit – attraction to the boy was different. It was far beyond his place in Ciel's life to be a partner. It was confusing enough to be servant and teacher, both subservient and in the position of relative power as guardian and instructor. Even friendship would make things more confusing. But a romantic relationship should be one of equals, and Sebastian doubted that Ciel would ever view himself as equal to his butler.

There was also the fact to consider that Ciel's entire life had taught him that two men being together was wrong. To Sebastian's mind, Ciel's asking him to sleep beside him was put forth with all the innocence of a child feeling fearful of a dark room after a traumatic experience. He could only hope that, in their eternity together, Ciel would adopt the beliefs of his new home, very few things were forbidden in Hell. Hopefully when this occurred, Ciel would feel comfortable enough with Sebastian to explore such activities with him – rather than some random demon. Sebastian was confident enough in his skills that were Ciel to ever turn to him in search of erotic experimentation, he would not wish to turn to another in any hurry. Perhaps such newfound closeness and understanding would lead the boy to feel for him romantically. Sebastian could be patient, but he worried that it would take him a while to learn to suppress the suddenly demanding urge that he embrace, touch, caress, kiss, nuzzle and otherwise adore the small child currently attempting to wrap himself yet further about his person.

* * *

Ciel was awakened by the rumblings of his stomach. He felt incredibly relaxed and rested. He was warm and breathing so deeply that it felt like his whole body was rising and falling, rather than just his chest. With that thought, Ciel began to notice other unusual things, such as how he was sleeping. He usually slept on his back, occasionally curled up into a ball on his side, but never wrapped around a pillow as he found himself that particular moment. The pillow itself was unusual. He didn't have silken pillow cases, and this pillow was very long and warm and...moving? Ciel shook his mind properly awake and finally realised that he was entwined around a person. His deep breathing motion was in fact caused by the way his breaths had synchronised with the other person's. This person was wearing silk nightclothes and smelled familiar. Stirring, Ciel tilted his head and opened his unmarked eye blearily.

"Sebastian?" he asked, still feeling hazy and secure. The fairly blurred image of his butler's face turned to smile down at him.

"Good morning." Sebastian greeted him simply. Ciel blinked again, in an attempt to clear his vision, and slowly sat upright, shifting his leg to untangle it from about Sebastian's. It was embarrassing to see how cuddly he'd been during his sleep, especially when he considered how Sebastian did not sleep.

"I..." Ciel knew he was blushing; he had no idea about how to behave in this type of situation! Just as he attempted to continue some sort of sentence, his stomach let out a loud grumble. Sebastian grinned.

"I am assuming you would like to have breakfast?" he asked with a smirk tugging the corner of his mouth and causing his eyes to gleam slightly. Ciel nodded quietly and watched his butler gracefully rise from the bed. "I will leave you to dress." He stated, laying out an outfit on the end of the bed and began to head for the door. "And I shall see you shortly in the breakfast room." With a small bow, the raven demon left the room quietly. Ciel shook his head free of its whirling thoughts, questions and appreciative comments on Sebastian's physique. Readying himself for the day took him a long while and he could smell drop scones, fresh jam, tea and clotted cream drifting its way like a siren call to his room. His stomach responded and he wended his way through the house to consume his morning meal alone.

* * *

Sebastian had fully intended to stay by Ciel's side whilst the Young Master ate, protecting him from the insidious Meri's charms and longings. However, having placed the boy's breakfast at the table, Sebastian had returned to the kitchen to pick up the forgotten pot of brown sugar. It was then that he found himself faced by the most delightful being he had had the fortune to meet. His hair was cream coloured, appearing soft and fluffy like a wispy cloud. His face was dark with a set of brilliant blue eyes gazing into his calmly, possibly more striking than Ciel's. His steps were assured but light and graceful as he made his way over to stand before Sebastian, lapis lazuli gaze not wavering from the entranced red eyes of the raven demon.

"You should not be here." Sebastian murmured, eyes still drinking in the delicate features before him. The other quirked his head to the side inquisitively and pressed himself against Sebastian. This was enough to make Sebastian give in and he gathered the gorgeous Birman cat into his arms, fingers running through the fluffy fur and rubbing around the striking face. The cat submitted quite happily and began to purr. "The Young Master is allergic to cats. Besides, he doesn't like felines..."

"I told you before, I do not dislike cats." Ciel huffed from his position in the doorway. The creature in Sebastian's arms was in fact, extraordinarily beautiful. It looked so soft that Ciel was drawn across the room, arm extended in the attempt to touch that fur. Sebastian turned his torso away from the boy, shifting the cat out of his reach. Ciel pouted. "I'm not trying to take it away. I just want to stroke his fur!"

"That said, you are still allergic Ciel." Sebastian said with a little smile as the cat climbed up onto his shoulder. Ciel continued to pout, but to Sebastian's surprise, did not order his butler to let him pet the cat. Even when Sebastian walked out into the garden and placed the cat outside, Ciel remained, bottom lip sticking out plump-ly.

"Ciel!" The blue haired boy visibly flinched from the drawn out pronunciation of what was meant to be his two syllable long name. That voice, though breezy like the sea and melodic rather than shrill and sweet, reminded him so strongly of Lizzie that it hurt. Ciel had not thought about his cousin for a while. The image of Lizzie beaming at him as they danced, when it rose unbidden to the forefront of his mind, stung. Meri, oblivious to everything, barrelled into Ciel; wrapped his long arms about the smaller boy and twirled him in a big circle. "Awwww, you're so CUTE when you pout! Like a little kitty asking for some milk. Mew!" He squealed, ending in a purr as he nudged his nose against Ciel's ear. Sebastian chose this moment to snarl at the 'angel'.

"Sebastian, you are not a bear." Alkippe stated quite calmly as she drifted into her kitchen, her movements exaggeratedly sedate when compared to Meri's dashed entrance. "Meri dear, put Ciel down, he is looking rather ill." The sandy haired menace obliged with a huge smile directed at Alkippe and a concerned frown for Ciel. He ignored Sebastian completely.

"Are you OK, my little starfish?" he crooned to the wobbling Ciel who was attempting to regain his bearings, head spinning from all of the twirling. Sebastian's fists were clenched tight as he controlled the urge to pummel Meri into a little pile of gunk on the floor. He'd even tidy up for his mother afterwards. When Ciel careened to one side as his equilibrium decided it really did not want to settle, Sebastian was so intent on catching and righting his Master that he did not notice his mother's beaming smile or the look that passed between her and Meri.

* * *

Ciel felt that Sebastian was being extremely clingy and coddling. It wasn't that he did not enjoy the attention and his butler's presence, however, he felt embarrassed by the doting gazes Alkippe was sending them and frustrated at the way Meri snickered and bobbled his eyebrows whenever he caught Ciel's eye. He wasn't sure whether Meri was teasing or was jealous of the attention Sebastian was giving him, or resented the fact that Ciel at least appeared to be avoiding him after the riding incident. That said, Ciel mostly missed the time he could spend in solitude. Ever since he'd asked Sebastian to remain with him through the night, his butler had taken it upon himself to sleep with Ciel every night. And he didn't have the heart to ask that he desist. Furthermore, Ciel _liked_ sleeping with Sebastian. The warmth his butler emanated was soothing, the way his strong arms pulled him against a broad chest was comforting and Ciel loved the lullaby of Sebastian's heartbeat. Still, he missed being alone. He felt the need to consider things, but if Sebastian thought the boy had been ruminating for too long, he broke his thought patterns with a suggestion for an activity.

They hadn't been spending all of their time at Alkippe's home, though they were still guests there and hadn't been back to Ciel's personal home for many months. They frequently visited various towns and attractions, sometimes alone but equally as often with Sebastian's parents or even Verdelet and Meri too. They went for rides, joined Artair in fishing trips, and visited friends of Sebastian's parents where Ciel had to take on the guise of the 'Little Raven'. These trips were always interesting, but discomforting to the boy as the adults always commented on the close bond 'Father and Son' shared. More than that, Ciel's maturing was often a topic of discussion. He'd grown marginally taller, still shorter than Sebastian but no longer quite as childishly small. His hands were bigger, though he retained his long, slender fingers. Alkippe had been clucking over how much he'd grown, frequently dragging him off on shopping trips for longer trousers, bigger shoes and better fitting shirts. On the first of such trips, Ciel had requested his very first pair of jeans and marvelled at how comfortable they were.

All of this growing had had an effect of Ciel's voice and for what had seemed like a very long time, he'd been prone to shifting up and down the musical scale with his vocals in the most unmusical of ways. It had been a struggle to goad the boy into conversation until his voice had settled into a pleasing tenor. Ciel had noted other changes to his body such as stronger muscles, hairier legs, slightly broader shoulders and the unmistakable enlargement of his lower anatomy. This embarrassed him still, but he was glad to say that ... _it_ ... rarely decided to bother him when Sebastian fed him now. Not that he'd found himself needing to be fed as frequently as before. This may have been due to his maturing, or to the fact he was getting accustomed to the pain and could go longer without feeling weakened by it. Ciel wasn't the only one to have grown. Abra was now big enough for Ciel to ride and with the help of Alkippe and Sebastian; the boy had been training his colt. The pair suited each other well; they almost seemed to move as one. Abraxas refused to allow anyone but Ciel and occasionally Alkippe to ride him, he might have allowed Sebastian but the raven demon was still too large for him to bear.

* * *

One day, having evaded Sebastian whilst the butler was washing Ciel's breakfast dishes, the boy discovered a room which housed the most beautiful piano he had ever seen. With a whisper of awed breath, Ciel slipped into the room to examine the instrument. It was such a deep glossy red colour that it appeared black until the light caught it at a specific angle. Its legs were intricately carved with swirling scrolls, the music shelf a stunning pale wooden sun which gleamed a rich buttery colour. The entire body of the piano was worked with golden runes, indecipherable to the boy, but they seemed to writhe and dance. He thought that perhaps they were spells, but paid them very little attention as he drifted towards the clavier of the piano, eyeing the keys apprehensively. They gleamed as if just polished meticulously. Slowly sinking onto the piano stool, Ciel simply eyed the gorgeous instrument. It was a secret wish of his to know how to play. He'd never wanted to learn the violin particularly. Yes, the stringed instruments had a pleasing tone when played well and could express a wide range of emotion, but Ciel had always found it rather sorrowful. The piano, however, spoke to him. It really seemed like the perfect instrument with which to truly express oneself.

Placing his fingers almost reverently over the gleaming keys, Ciel couldn't bring himself to mar the gleaming surface with his fingerprints. He sighed forlornly and slowly retracted his hands to place them in his lap. "I could teach you to play, if you wished?" came a soft and velvety voice from the direction of the door. Ciel turned, eyes searching out the gleam of red eyes and pale skin in the shadows and frowned.

"I thought you played the violin." He said, confused and slightly disgruntled by the fact that his butler had already found him. Although, after a moment's thought, he realised that their contract made it extremely simple for him to do so. Sebastian crossed the room slowly, steps as graceful as usual. The small, self assured smile playing around his lips was so familiar to Ciel and yet the sight of it sent a flood of heat washing through him. Quickly turning back to the keys to hide his blush from Sebastian, Ciel began to panic over the return of his body's revolt against him. All of a sudden he wanted to touch Sebastian, to kiss him and be held in comforting warm arms. Struggling to clear his mind of such thoughts and images, Ciel only caught the end of his Butler's sentence.

" ...play, the piano was my first." Ciel blinked.

"How many instruments do you play?" he asked, hoping that the answer to his question had not already been provided. Sebastian ran a hand over the gleaming keys, filling the room with a cascade of pleasant sounding notes. He was standing to one side of the piano stool, but was leaning slightly over Ciel to reach the other side of the clavier.

"Hmmm." He mused for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure. I expect there are a number I cannot play or have not encountered...but I can play instruments from all sections of the orchestra." Crossing the room to a simple cabinet filled with sheaves of music, Sebastian plucked a few from their position and returned to Ciel's side. "Now, let us start, shall we?" he asked, smiling as the boy turned studiously to the instrument before him and touched the keys almost reverently as Sebastian began to explain how the piano worked, the positioning of the notes and then started to teach the boy proper fingering and chord structure.

* * *

Sebastian was surprised at how swiftly Ciel had taken to the piano. When their instruction had ended, Ciel had already begun to pick out a melody but was struggling to carry out a steady rhythm. This was to be expected however, and Sebastian had made sure to praise Ciel's progress before leaving to run his small Master a bath. Now, propped up with pillows in Ciel's bed with the young master's head resting peacefully on his chest, Sebastian allowed himself to run his fingers ever so gently through the silken locks of shimmering blue/grey hair. His mother had been watching him recently with a kind of barely concealed glee that Sebastian feared had something to do with how he was spending his night times. After all, he had never been inclined to sleep the night away before, and had spent the dark hours in his youth exploring the mortal world and tormenting the humans. Now he found it difficult to tear himself away from Ciel's side for even a few short hours to travel to feed.

This was partially due to the fact he felt unable to trust Meri. Were he to leave Ciel un-chaperoned, that blasted angel child was likely to try some sort of trickery. Sebastian couldn't bring himself to allow the sandy haired child the opportunity of cornering Ciel alone. He ensured that when he left to feed, Ciel was under the care of his father. Artair was a good, solid influence and was ever so happy to spend time with his 'grandson'. Sebastian thought that Ciel enjoyed their bonding time also, Artair made a better father figure than Sebastian ever could.

Nights had passed like this one ever since Meri had endangered Ciel by taking him out of the safety of a home without an adult. Usually Sebastian remained wakeful, watching his young master's peaceful face as he relaxed into slumber. The boy often ended up curled against Sebastian's side, subconsciously seeking out the warmth he sensed beside him. Sebastian liked it best when Ciel used him as a pillow. It made him feel warm inside, he fancied that it displayed Ciel's trust in him. It was usually the nights during which Ciel decided to cushion his head on Sebastian's chest or stomach that the raven demon decided to sleep a few long hours himself. The comfort of that small weight resting atop him made him feel so peaceful and at ease that he found sleep a haven and full of pleasant memories.

* * *

**A.N – **Here we go. Chapter 19! I'm sorry I'm being so slow guys. Lots of work to do until the end of March/start of April. I'm 3 months away from finishing at uni. I have no idea what I'll do with myself afterwards! There are NO JOBS. Argh. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your support...and also wanted to leave a reply to an unsigned review. I know you left your email, but gobbled it away so I couldn't respond! To everyone, I wanted to say that I will try to update at least once a month until I finish with uni. So you should get another chapter by the first week of March. But I can't promise anything. I know how wonderfully patient and understanding you are, so I hope I won't disappoint you! :D

_**Dreamy xxx**_

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**Evalyn –** Thank you so much for your lovely review, I am really glad you're enjoying my story so much! When I first started the story I was posting every 2-3 weeks I think. Sometimes I'll get lots of amazing reviews and will whip out another chapter in a few days. Other times I might go for a month or so without updating. I don't read the manga, though I have been tempted. I'm a student and don't really have the money at the moment, but I might one day! Happy new year to you. :D Even if it is now February. I hope you spot this response!

_Dreamy xxx_


	20. Pilchard Curry

**A.N – **Leap DAY! Wooh! 29th February 2012! Have a chapter! This one has been a struggled to write, but I managed it!

**Disclaimer – **I own nothing belonging to anyone but myself!

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Sebastian's eyes blinked open to the sight of light streaming through the curtains. He immediately became aware of the absence of Ciel's warm sleeping body beside his. As he began to sit upright, he noticed that there was someone in the room with him, curled up fast asleep on his chest.

"Hello little one." He murmured softly, carefully gathering the still sleeping cat into his arms and rising from the bed. "You really shouldn't be in here, Ciel is extremely allergic. Which is a great shame. However, I am also aware of the fact that mother does not allow you upstairs. I got into enough trouble smuggling cats to my room as a boy. Let's get you some breakfast and see where the Young Master is, shall we?" with that said, Sebastian went to his own room, gently laying the cat onto his bed whilst he changed and then scooping it back up to take it downstairs.

It was a very unusual looking cat, not yet fully grown but still most definitely going to grow into the size of a regular, domesticated cat. Its fur was very soft and a glossy shade of slate grey except for the pristine white of its stomach, chest and inner legs. The cat had striking markings, dark grey spots covered it sparsely, larger along the centre of its back, and there were nearly invisible stripes on its legs. Its tail was striped with a dark tip which matched the dark tufts of hair at the tips of its ears. On its face, dark grey markings gave the cat the appearance it was wearing kohl like ancient Egyptians wore around their eyes. In all, the cat resembled a lynx or a long tailed, miniature, bobcat and Sebastian was finding it hard to reason with himself that he had to return the cat to his mother's farm. He'd learnt many many centuries ago that concealing felines in his wardrobe was not feasible and led to a rather negative reaction from his mother.

After checking all rooms in which Ciel was likely to have been, Sebastian deduced that his young master was likely with Artair. Verdelet was currently away on business and Meri was with Alkippe, checking the pregnant mares and corralling the horses which were going to be viewed by potential owners soon. They'd be occupied with grooming these horses for a few hours yet, so Sebastian settled in the library with the still sleeping cat curled up on his lap. It was strangely novel to feel so relaxed. Whether this was because he actually had the time to read, or the fact that Ciel was not here or purely the presence of the cat, Sebastian didn't know. All he could think was how nice it was to unwind. After devouring four books (not literally, no ingestion took place), the raven demon very gently shifted the snoozing cat into the warm spot he'd left in the squishy armchair before leaving to do some cooking. Before he'd even left the room the cat had rolled onto its back, stretching its limbs out luxuriously and displaying a pristine white stomach. Sebastian chuckled to himself, smiling fondly at the still sleeping cat and exited the room quietly. He spent a while in the kitchen, making a couple of different fish dishes. What he made didn't even dent the amount of fish his father had stock piled in a special chest, charmed to keep it so cold that the fish would never spoil.

As he was serving his selection of dishes onto plates, a couple of cats wandered in as if drawn by the wafting scent of fish. Smiling down at the felines with a besotted expression, Sebastian set down a plate of food for each of them, eyes scanning the wonderful creatures for his feline roommate from that morning. Even though he was looking for the cat, Sebastian's mind had turned to Ciel. He hoped that Artair would have remembered his Young Master's need for human food. And was also rather anxious as the thought of Artair feeding Ciel as a demonic child. As he started to imagine (greatly against his will) Ciel having to ask Artair to feed him, Alkippe and Meri entered the kitchen.

"Sweetheart, that smells delicious." Alkippe said eyeing each of the dishes appreciatively. "It's about time someone did something with some of the fish your father insists on continuing to bring home!"

"You are welcome to try some Mother." Sebastian smiled, then upon receiving a small glare from Alkippe turned to face Meri. "Of course, you may also sample the dishes." He said, barely restraining himself from spitting the words out at the cherubic demon. As the pair selected from the many plates of food what they wanted to eat, Sebastian crouched down to receive purring attention and thanks from his feline customers.

"Mother, where is Father today?" he asked, considering taking Amaya out to collect his Young Master.

"Oh, he's off to play in the snow." Alkippe said absently as she poked at a piece of curried fish. Sebastian's head shot up from where he'd been squishing the delicate pink pad of a red tabby cat between his finger and thumb.

"I doubt he'll find any here..." he said sarcastically. In his mind he was concerned that Artair may have taken Ciel to Earth. The boy may have been a demon, but he was not yet considered old enough to travel to the mortal realm, even if accompanied by an adult. Young demons tended to become overtaken by a certain bloodlust when surrounded by living mortals and would create carnage as they drank the blood of their victims. Not only was this a problem in the fact it was very conspicuous and riled the humans, demons were never designed to ingest such large amounts of blood. Eating anything physical had to be done in small amounts. Demons of gluttony had to purge themselves before continuing to indulge in their sin. When demon young feasted on blood rather than souls, they were often driven mad. They lost their desire to feed on souls and continued draining humans of their fluids. The blood was not sustaining and had odd effects on the mental health of demons; often they would leave hell for good, roaming the earth until they starved.

"Well, he won't find any proper snow." Meri answered. "But Verdelet constructed a special building, on the outskirts of his home, for Artair a long time ago. It's rather spectacular." He paused to bravely shove the curried fish into his mouth and nodded to Alkippe to imply that it was good. "It's charmed rather like the cold chest. But he managed to figure out how to make a small weather system in there, so it snows!"

"That's right. Verdelet is very clever, and ever so fond of your father. Artair often feels the need to roll in the snow and burrow into it for a nap. He left in the early hours of the morning, but I'm sure he'll be back before nightfall." Sebastian nodded. At least he wouldn't need to worry about Ciel becoming hungry. "This curry..." Alkippe said, spooning a small amount more onto her plate.

"It's pilchard curry." Sebastian supplied, pleased to see his food being enjoyed.

"It is delicious." Both his mother and Meri replied in unison before giggling at each other. Sebastian rolled his eyes at the girlish behaviour and stood, bowing his head slightly.

"Thank you." He said before turning to the door. "Please do excuse me; I have a book to get back to."

* * *

"Ciel and Sebastian have been sleeping together." Meri stated blandly once the latter had left the room. Alkippe inhaled sharply and narrowly missed lodging some curried pilchard in her oesophagus. Meri smirked slightly, turning his head to gaze out of the window so that his hostess would not see.

"I beg your pardon?" Alkippe demanded, not begging in the slightest. Meri's smirk grew into a childish grin as he turned back to her.

"Every night for quite a while now." Alkippe stared at him. "I walked in on them the other day." Her pale cheeks blossomed with pink. "It's kind of adorable really, how Sebastian holds him so close, so tenderly..." Alkippe cut him off.

"I hadn't expected...I didn't think that..."

"Mmmmhmm. Ciel must have been finding it difficult to sleep. Perhaps he had nightmares." Alkippe's blush began to dim and she stared at Meri accusingly.

"Sebastian never was one to sleep." She said softly, explaining the original direction her thoughts had taken. Meri laughed. "I'm glad you helped them to grow closer."

"Yeah, I suppose. I just wish your plan hadn't made Sebastian dislike me so!" Meri whined.

"He'll get over it." Alkippe replied, standing suddenly to tidy everything away.

"I don't know that Ciel will though."

"Of course he will! Everything will be fine dear." Alkippe said, ruffling Meri's hair and giggling at the grumble she received in response. "Now, come along, you said you wanted to know how I decided which horse was best for the customer."

* * *

Sebastian smiled down at the young cat before gently running his forefinger along the soft white fur of its belly. The cat let out a little moaning purr of a noise before curling up on its side, still asleep. Sebastian chuckled. "How can cats stand to sleep so much?" he wondered aloud, scooping the cat into the cradle of his arms as one would do with a baby. It murmured, and its ear twitched, but otherwise showed no reaction to being handled. "So adorable." Sebastian whispered, reaching out to press the cat's pad between his forefinger and thumb. The way the pressure caused the claws to extract fascinated him. The soft texture of the black flesh and the tickle of the tufts of fur between the toes, were a delight.

"Sebastian! What on earth do you think you are doing?" Ciel demanded. Sebastian startled slightly, clutching the cat a little closer to his chest possessively.

"Well Young Master, you weren't here you see. So I didn't think that you would find any harm in..." As he babbled excuses, Sebastian turned to face his master, only to find the room was empty. He shook his head, ebony locks flying as he muttered to himself. "When the voices in your head begin to sound like your Master..." he trailed off. A gleaming orb of lapis lazuli shot through with the violets and pale aquamarine of moonstones had caught his attention. The cat in his arms was squinting at him sleepily through one eye, delicate paw dabbing at the air as though to capture the demon's attention. "Well, well, well. And I thought that you could not get more beautiful little one." Sebastian mused, startled by the depth of the flecked colours. "Perhaps Mother would allow me to keep you..."

"What are you talking about?" Sebastian's head shot up to glance around the room.

"Young Master?" he queried, now seriously wondering on the health of his mental state.

"Let me go Sebastian! What's gotten into you?" The butler stumbled onto the nearest chair in shock.

"Ciel!" he squawked, peering down at the small, beautiful cat in his lap. It had opened its other eye so that it might stare back in displeasure. The cat's right eye did not match the left. It was similarly coloured, but the violet flecks were much more vibrant and the aquamarine was replaced with lilacs and mauves. The cat did not bear his contract, but the vivid purples gave the impression of it. Ciel was undergoing the transition into adulthood, and he was to be a Hell-Cat.

* * *

"My darling, Ciel!" Sebastian's mother cooed. "I'm so proud of you sweetie! First Sebastian's a raven and now you're a BEAUTIFUL Hell-Cat! Meri, I cannot _wait_ to see you grow up too!"

Alkippe was squeezing Ciel against her bosom with such abundant affection that, being a rather small cat, he felt that he was being suffocated and allowed instinct to overtake him. Squirming snake-like, Ciel managed to claw over Alkippe's shoulder, leapt onto a nearby table and dashed, tail puffed out like a bottle brush, for the safety of the dark space under the sofa. Unfortunately for the distressed soon-to-be-an-adult, two hands reached out to snag around his middle before he succeeded in his escapade. He then relaxed, assuming that Sebastian was rescuing him, but at the first caress to the top of his head, he knew it to be Meri, his sensitive nose filled with the salty sweet scent he'd learnt to identify the once-angel by.

"He's so super adorable." Meri crooned; his petting fingers around Ciel's face making the struggling cat flinch.

"Please! Let me go!" he cried out, not at all happy about his position. Why couldn't he be a bear, a bird or something too big to harass in such a manner!

"Meri, let me take him." Came a soothing voice. Ciel looked up hopefully, to be met by Artair's warm eyes. Big, strong hands lifted Ciel onto a warm, broad shoulder and steadied him there until he found his footing and snuggled against Sebastian's father's neck. "It is a great honour to welcome a new Hell-Cat into our demesne." Artair rumbled softly.

Ciel was paying little attention to the attention he was receiving. He was concerned by the fact that Sebastian had disappeared almost immediately after presenting Ciel, in his new form, to his family. He remembered how distraught Sebastian had seemed when he thought Ciel had become a cat back when he'd created the ears and tail. He hadn't realised that he'd turn into an animal all of a sudden, but had expected to one day discover animal-like appendages, perhaps a tail, different eyes or an altered nose. This was somewhat of a shock, and Ciel dearly wished that Sebastian had chosen to remain with him. The raven demon had become such a source of comfort that Ciel felt rather lost without him.

"I should like to go to bed." Ciel murmured into Artair's ear. He wanted some solitude in which he could worry about Sebastian potentially hating him. After all, cats and birds did not tend to get along. Maybe Sebastian didn't hate him, but envied him. His butler – how long had it been since he'd really thought of him by that term? – adored cats, perhaps he wished that _he_ could have been a Hell-Cat. Or there was the slim chance that Sebastian was concerned about treating Ciel as he did all cats, doting and soft and crooning. And it could be that he was unsure about how Ciel would react to such behaviour.

* * *

"Good night, Ciel." Chorused the three demons as the cat slinked out of the room, heading towards his bedroom on silken paws. It was unusual to see the house from this angle, and difficult to co-ordinate his feet at first. His tail was irritating, but it was nice to be able to see so clearly in the dark. Ciel slipped into his room through the narrow gap left after he'd prodded it with his paw a few times. Luckily it hadn't been on the catch, just pushed to. Although he'd been asleep for almost an entire day, Ciel felt exhausted. He padded into the room and peered up at his bed. Jumping down from Alkippe's shoulder to the table had not really been any height at all. It had just happened. Getting up onto his bed, however, was going to be a struggle.

Ciel crouched down, his belly close to the ground as his hind-quarters waggled side to side comically. He was building on the courage and strength to make the leap when a gentle hand scooped under his chest and lifted him into a pair of waiting arms. Ciel quirked his head to one side and gazed up at the person who'd picked him up.

"Sebastian? What are you doing in here? It's not like you need to pick out any clothes for me...and I really am much too tired for a bath." The idea of a bath certainly did not appeal to Ciel at _all_!

"We're going home." Sebastian stated, indicating the packed bags on Ciel's bed.

"Why?" The cat questioned, feeling a pang of sorrow in his chest. This place felt like home more than anywhere he could really remember. Sebastian sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed and letting Ciel settle on his lap.

"You need your home now. It's safer for you there and you need the additional strength. This phase of growing up can last a long while, but you will need somewhere quiet and secure in the end. I don't want to lose you; I'm worried that I don't know enough to help you through this, Ciel." Sebastian's head was bowed, his hair hanging down to obscure his face, but Ciel could hear the painful lump in the demon's throat.

* * *

Sebastian was afraid. He'd been aware of Ciel's maturing, of course he had! It had surely been the more mature look of the boy that had caused the attraction he found himself plagued with. But he hadn't expected the boy to undergo this stage of his maturing quite so soon. Sebastian, shamefully, was not prepared. He'd had no young siblings to watch progress through the transitioning phases of maturity. No friends to learn from, no centuries of study to prepare himself. What if he could not help Ciel through the final struggle of his demonic childhood? What if he lost his Young Master through his own incompetence? Sebastian knew how important a demon child's own Home was for their maturing. Their personal space became suffused with energy and power, drawing more from the adults available to provide a safe place for the child to grow in. Like an incubator in a sense. A second birth of sorts would take place. The next time Ciel left his Home, he would be a fully fledged adult. Still young, still allowed his mistakes, yet no longer the precious child he had been. Sebastian was pleased, underneath the panic. Ciel would be so much stronger, more able to defend himself. And beneath that, Sebastian was saddened by the loss of the closeness Ciel's childhood had forged between the two.

He was shocked out of his thoughts by a cold, damp little nose pressing against the hollow of his neck. Little paws pressed against his chest as Ciel rubbed the top of his head against Sebastian's sternum. A gentle purring emitted the strikingly coloured cat, comfort and affection being transmitted loud and clear.

"We will be fine. You're 'one hell of a butler' after all." Ciel chuckled. "I trust you to help me through whatever it is you are worrying about."

Sebastian looked into Ciel's eyes and smiled. He was right. There was no chance in all the realms of heaven and hell that he would allow this transition to take his Master away from him. Not after all they had been through. He cared much too deeply about his beautiful Young Master to lose him.

* * *

**A.N – **Ta da! I had to update for the leap day! Simply had to! I will reply to the last chapter's reviews over the next few days, but I seriously need to get some work done on my accumulating assignments! XD

Let me know how soon you knew who the pretty kitty was! :)

Love you all!

_**Dreamy xxx**_


	21. Everybody Wants to be a Cat

**A.N – **Hi guys, I'm sorry to keep you waiting and I'm sorry if this is short or rubbish or whatnot. But, I am stressed. I had half of this written and finished it off tonight in a hurry as response to my most recent review which made me feel both guilty and slightly standoffish. Longer explanation at the end.

**Disclaimer – **_I don't own anything! I am a poor, penniless, frazzled student!_

* * *

__**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Sebastian was wearing a very soft grey hooded coat which had no buttons, but simply pulled over the head. Ciel wanted to dig his paws into it and squish it around to make a nice bed for himself, but had so far restrained himself from doing so. He and Sebastian were saying their goodbyes; Ciel safely perched on Sebastian's shoulder to avoid another of Meri's unwelcome embraces. Or one of Alkippe's hugs full of smothering affection. The cat was pleased to hear that Artair would be accompanying his little party home. Sebastian had to feed if he was to help suffuse Ciel's home with extra nutritious souls and Artair had recently fed. While Sebastian went off to visit the mortal realm, Artair would remain with Ciel to protect him. The cat couldn't help but feel this was all rather unnecessary but was glad for the bear demon's presence. Such a strong demon being around helped calm Sebastian, and where Artair was, there was bound to be at least a small chance of fish. In fact, he had offered to bring some along with him after spotting Ciel trying to clamber into the locked cold chest. It wasn't his fault that his finely tuned senses had led him to the sweet delicacy! After all, such a chest should have been perfectly sealed, not ajar and teasing.

"Goodbye. Perhaps I will find time to visit you. Be good Ciel, and Sebastian, you care of the kitten, won't you?" Ciel was tired of this nonsense and let his mood be known by very carefully leaping onto the sofa, then the floor, before exiting the house with an air of disdainful dignity. He wanted to leave. He wanted peace and quiet, not shrill voices and overwhelming attention. The small cat padded across the yard to where Amaya and Abraxas awaited him patiently.

"At least you are peaceful creatures." He muttered, climbing on top of the pile of luggage, up onto the fence and then hopped across the small gap to settle on Abra's back. The colt snorted and peered back at the small furred creature which smelled like his Master, but otherwise let it be. After all, it was only curling up to sleep and the warmth of its small body was rather pleasant nestled against his withers. Ciel sighed in content. He was slowly getting more accustomed to the jumping around to reach high places and found getting up high much easier than he would have in his human form. Perhaps being a cat wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

"Play with me."

"I don't wish to, I am busy."

"Play with me!" This time the demand was accompanied by a sharp prod against the male's cheek. It received little reaction.

"I told you, I am busy. I'm sure you can occupy yourself."

"I order you to play with me!" Demanded a stern little voice. At this, the male turned dispassionate russet brown eyes down to gaze at the child ordering him around.

"You are not my master. You are not my superior. You are young and foolish if you believe yourself to be able to demand my respect. I have told you that I am busy. Now, kindly leave me to my work."

* * *

Ciel stared at Artair in shock. No adult had ever spoken to him in such a manner. He had never been denied attention. Especially not in favour of a tangled fishing line. Artair didn't even _use_ fishing lines! The speckled grey cat glowered up at the bear demon and left the room muttering.

Four days. Four days had he been alone with this rock of a man. At Alkippe's home, Artair had been genial and entertaining. Surely, as a guest, it should fall on his shoulders to at least be polite! Ciel couldn't help that he'd devoured all of the fish Artair had brought with him from the cold chest. Nor could he be blamed for the demise of the fish contained within those little sloshing bags of water. They had mocked him! He hadn't eaten _all_ of them; one or two had been tormented until they'd drowned in the dry air. About a half dozen still remained alive, if slightly disoriented and bruised from being batted around like balls. Ciel could have sworn he'd seen Artair pouring said bag enclosed fish into a glass box filled with water and plants before placing it on a very high shelf in a locked room. All he wanted was a little entertainment. He had had enough of sleeping in the patches of sun that fell into his home. The horses wouldn't entertain him, the chickens had been locked away...as had the rabbits. And the goats were nasty vicious creature which stomped at him when he approached and nibbled on his tail and whiskers when they got half a chance.

Being a cat was sheer torture.

* * *

A week, Sebastian had been gone for a week. Ciel believed himself to be turning into a vegetable. He had never been fond of vegetables. Artair was paying more attention to the horses than he was to Ciel. And the female Tortured that Alkippe had left to care for the other animals was terrified of Ciel for some reason. Luckily, she could at least cook basic recipes. Artair had tried to produce scrambled eggs to feed Ciel, but had burnt them in a manner Bard would have been proud of. So, other than being served eggs, goat milk and the occasional rabbit, Ciel was left to his own devices. For seven long, dragging days. There was only so much time one could spend sleeping in the sunshine, and as the week had worn on, there was less and less sunshine to wallow in. He had discovered the torment of closed doors. Not only was he bereft of thumbs, he couldn't even reach the doorknobs anyway!

This was supposed to be Ciel's home, his retreat and the expression of his will. Why had it not altered to allow him free access to all of the rooms and the grounds without having to politely request Artair's aid? It was all very frustrating and Ciel was getting more and more anxious about the absence of Sebastian. This wasn't even taking into account his dubious feelings for his butler, but was more focussed on the lack of attention he was receiving. Ciel was only just beginning to realise how much he was used to being focused on, listened to and praised. He'd been the Queen's watchdog. Everyone had known his name and even adults much his senior had paused to listen to him and allowed him what he demanded. Sebastian was similar in the fact that he gave Ciel what he wanted and the boy was certain that Sebastian would want to ladle affection onto him now that he was in this irritatingly restricted form.

Ciel was bored. And lonely, never mind fed up and tired of the limited menu Artair could offer him. Sebastian had been gone for so long that he feared some human had managed to tie his butler to them in such a way that prevented him from returning to Ciel. Two weeks was inexcusably too long to have left Ciel alone. The weather had deteriorated into angry grey clouds and spats of rain and hail. Although this had originally recalled fond memories of jolly old England, Ciel had become as disinterested with the weather as everything else. The rain just meant that he most definitely did not have any inclination of venturing outside and the walls of the house were not entertaining in the least. If Ciel had believed himself to be vegetable-like after a week of Sebastian's absence, he must have quite literally turned into a potato or some other such produce by now. He spent his days lounging on his bedroom window seat, gazing out of the window as the weather lashed at Sebastian's carefully tended gardens.

"Urgh, Sebastian!" Ciel mewled out in a tone of mixed sorrow and annoyance. "Why are you not _here_!"

He flinched as a warm hand came down to rub behind on ear, quickly melted into the caress before spinning around to face the new presence in his room. His heart was beating almost painfully quickly in his snowy white furred chest, but calmed swiftly as he saw it was not Sebastian, but Alkippe smoothing his fur and watching him with affectionate eyes.

"Hello little one, it seems to me that you're fed up." She cooed, picking him up like a toddler, her thumbs under his forelegs. Ciel fought back the instinct to hiss and spit and writhe as Sebastian's mother carried him towards the toy room. "I'm sorry dear, Artair had very little to do with Sebastian as a child and I don't think he realises that not everyone is like a bear cub, easily amused with a cushion or a foot to wrestle with. Let's find you something to do and I will go and get you something to eat. I'm sorry I couldn't have visited earlier, but Verdelet has only just found chance to return home with Meri."

* * *

Having eaten enough deliciously prepared fish and fresh meat to cause his stomach to distend slightly in full tautness, Ciel's mood was much improved. Following this, Alkippe had tied a little fabric bag stuffed with some kind of plant matter to a long dangling set of ribbons which she was currently obligingly trailing across the floor. Ciel was slightly aware of the fact his actions were embarrassingly juvenile and quite simply foolish, but his mental state of euphoria did not care in the slightest. He scattered across the wooden floors after the ribbons, pinned one down and chewed on it for a second. His attention then moved to a fluffy feather tied to one corner of the cloth bag which he patted twice to ensure obedience. This closeness bought a tantalising scent to his delicate nose and it appeared to be coming from _that bag_. After rubbing his face around the pouch, prodding and patting and gnawing at it, even drooling slightly, Ciel would scamper off behind a handy piece of furniture and crouch, eyes fixed intently on the nearest ribbon. The whole process would begin again with his little bottom waving in the air and an enormous pounce and skitter across the floor, back to the ribbon.

Despite knowing in his heart of hearts that such behaviour was most definitely beneath him, Ciel was thoroughly enjoying himself. His observers were also happy, obviously sharing some part in his delight as the room was filled with his purring and laughter from his watchers.

At first, when a new voice joined in the merriment, Ciel did not notice. He was, at that moment, sprawled on his back, batting the pouch into the air and catching it with his front paws to scrabble at it with his hind legs. For some reason this action was highly satisfying and was also making him hungry. Suddenly, he abandoned the pouch to sit upright quite primly and set about rubbing his face with his paws in the hopes of drying off some of the saliva that was now making his fur unpleasant. Whatever Alkippe had put into that bag was suspicious to Ciel now that he had gained a certain distance from it. His behaviour reminded him slightly of those men who frequented the gentlemen's clubs to the point of over indulgence.

When he was once again lifted from the floor unceremoniously, Ciel let out a displeased little growling noise which aborted swiftly as a new scent filled his nose and a rich chuckle reached his ears.

"You are incredibly cute, Ciel." Sebastian said with a crooked little smile for the cat held very carefully in his hands, gently supported around his ribs and underneath his rump. Ciel's gaze met the warm red eyes of his butler and a feeling quite indescribable washed over him. Letting out a little cry, the sound a mix of a yowl and a purr, Ciel squirmed himself free of Sebastian's hands and jumped over to the man's chest. He dug his claws into the soft grey material of Sebastian's unusual coat and set about rubbing his face against any patch of his butler's skin he could reach.

Now that Sebastian was back, Ciel could analyse the deep set pain that had crept up on him over the last fifteen days. He felt that a very important aspect of his life had suddenly fallen into place. It was odd really, realising just how much he had missed Sebastian. It wasn't just the lack of activity, the boredom, the limited variation in his diet or the frustration of his new form's limitations. No. Sebastian's absence was more than an accumulation of such things. Ciel had missed him for himself, not that that made much sense to him. Perhaps it was because Ciel loved Sebastian, though that made him feel a bit too much like a character in one of Lizzy's silly girly romance novels. That said, the way he was all but snuggling (_scent marking his butler as his __**possession**_) Sebastian as much as was possible for one without proper arms could, was also quite humiliatingly similar to the way a female would fawn over the return of her significant other.

That was not to say that Sebastian was not making similarly affectionate overtures. As Ciel had leapt the gap from Sebastian's hands to his chest, the raven demon had brought his arms in close to prevent the small cat from falling, making the determined grip of his claws unnecessary. As Ciel nuzzled against Sebastian's neck and face, the dark haired male trailed incredibly pleasurable fingers down Ciel's spine and murmured apologies for his prolonged absence and exclamations of pride in how much Ciel had grown, worry at the dullness of his coat and concern in the pronounced ridges of his vertebrae despite his still-full tummy.

* * *

Ciel was oblivious to the goodbyes of Artair, Alkippe and Mara the Tortured. After his reunion with Sebastian, the grey cat had refused to be parted from him and ended up comfortably draped over a strong, warm forearm. Sebastian was perfectly content to flit about the house and return it to the state of order it had been in when he'd left, with only one arm currently able to be of use to him. He visited the horses and made a fuss of them, checked on all of the animals, disapproving of the way they'd been shut away. Ciel may currently take the form of a cat, but that did not mean he'd have hunted down the rabbits and he cared a great deal too much for the chickens to fluster them, let alone prey on them. However, as he noticed the dampness of the ground and the poor flowers that had been battered by the hail, Sebastian began to feel rather angry towards his father. It was clear to him now that Artair had not been capable of caring for Ciel and it made him even more unhappy for the time it had taken him to return to his small Master. Perhaps he had over fed in the concerns of caring for Ciel during this transition. At least he now knew that he would not, under any circumstance, have to leave Ciel's side until his maturing was complete.

As Sebastian was about to enter the kitchen, Ciel stirred momentarily.

"Sebastian. Would you come and sleep in my room tonight? I've had enough of being left alone." Ciel asked, dismissing the nagging memory of how annoyed he'd gotten of Sebastian sleeping with him whilst at Alkippe's home. After so long parted from the raven demon, Ciel was not yet ready to let him out of his sight.

"If that is what you wish." Sebastian replied smoothly. Something in his tone or body language, or perhaps the sidelong glances, made Ciel suspicious of his butler. However, he shook the odd feeling off and returned to his slumber.

Ciel awoke to the scent of Sebastian's cooking. He did not even care about what he had been served. As soon as his butler deemed the meal cool enough for Ciel's delicate mouth to handle without being burnt, he consumed everything laid before him with a ravenous sort of hunger. He had missed Sebastian's food almost as much as Sebastian himself...well, not quite that much, but still rather a lot. His meal was followed by a delicious dish of something the consistency of cream, all warm and faintly spicy. Delicious!

Ciel followed Sebastian from the dining room, yawning and blinking heavy eyes. He barely reacted to being picked up, once again without having been asked for permission. When it was Sebastian, he supposed he didn't mind so much. He'd just drifted off; nose buried in the crook of Sebastian's elbow, when the sound quality of the room they entered roused him. With a lazy slitted eye, Ciel peered at his surroundings and let out an indignant yowl, springing from his supine position to full alertness.

"Young Master!" Sebastian exclaimed in astonishment, earning a hiss from the cat as both his choice of address and their current location.

"Why are we in the bathroom?" Ciel shrieked, whole body stiff in distaste or fear even as he felt the tendrils of sleep worming their way into the cracks in his consciousness. "And why am I feeling so unusually sleepy?" he questioned accusingly.

"Well, cats do tend to sleep..." Sebastian started, but trailed off at the glare he received. "Very well. I laced your dessert..."

"That creamy thing?" Ciel questioned, unknowingly licking around his mouth at the memory.

"Mmmhm. I wanted you to sleep." Sebastian continued.

"Why?" Ciel asked, warily eyeing the bath full of rose petal filled water.

"It's bath time." Came the serene response.

* * *

**A.N –** Seriously, I didn't realise over a month had passed. NOT quite 2 months, but getting there, I agree.

I am in the process of writing my 8-11 thousand word dissertation. I know that I promised to write a chapter a month but please realise that I WANT to be writing for you, and me, but I can't. By the end of May I reckon I'll be free. But right now I have a very poorly 100 year old great grandma and university and job hunting to deal with, so I'm finding less and less time to do anything nice.

I'm not going to full out stop writing any of my stories without letting you all know why first at least. Don't fret.

I also want to say I'm sorry for not replying to any reviews. I read them, and love them, but have NO TIME! to respond. Sorry! I hope this chapter will tide you over till the time I'm feeling slightly more sane? Saner? I realise it's a bit of a cliff hanger, but I needed to stop it at some point!

Big loves from

_**Dreamy xxx**_

P.S, I hope you all had a lovely eastery spring break holiday vacation thingy!

PPS - please lemme know if anything sounds wrong or doesn't make sense!


	22. Bathtime Trauma

**A.N – **Now you've done it! Once I start writing something fun, I don't wanna stop! XD New chapter for you lovely people!

**Disclaimer – **I do not own Sebastian, Ciel or Kuroshitsuji. I am poor and jobless and most definitely not lucky enough to work in animation, let alone be some big important person in the creative industry.

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

"NO!" Ciel shrilled, leaping away from Sebastian and dashing out of the room as fast as his four legs would carry him. He slipped and skidded around corners and through rooms until he found a hiding place in the corner of some forgotten room beneath a cabinet which _looked_ like it was solid right to the floor, but actually had a hollow base with a small gap at the back which Ciel had managed to wedge himself through. His heart pattered uncomfortably against his heaving chest and he could practically feel his pupils dilate in fear, and now the dim lighting. He knew that Sebastian was bound to find him, surely his current form would not diminish the contract bond between them, and that is was foolish to hide like a disobedient child. However, the panic he felt at the mere mention of water spending any prolonged contact with him was not to be ignored.

After ten minutes of hiding with no appearance from Sebastian or even sound of pursuit, Ciel hesitantly emerged from his hidey hole. He'd been telling the truth when he'd stated that he'd had enough of being alone. Even if his craving for company meant braving the bathroom again. Besides, he did not wish to succumb to the, albeit diminishing, urge to sleep.

Ciel slinked his way into the bathroom with wariness and hesitancy, ears pricked for any sound which indicated danger. All he could hear was the faintest lapping sound, rather like the one he'd hear when breathing gently in the bath, the smallest movement of the water causing a gentle sound. Stomach pressed low to the floor, tail held close against his body and ears pinned back on his head, Ciel crept further into the bathroom, peering around for Sebastian before finally glancing towards the bath itself.

For some reason, the sight of Sebastian reclined serenely in the bathtub baffled Ciel. It wasn't that his butler was a smelly person, it wasn't as though Ciel did not think that Sebastian bathed and nor was he disgruntled by the raven demon's use of Ciel's own bathroom. However, seeing Sebastian looking so relaxed, performing a ritual that Ciel himself was so familiar (and prior to his transformation, fond of) was absolutely bizarre. Ciel ascertained that Sebastian was completely relaxed, eyes closed and breathing even, nose skimming the water as he reclined in the deep, rose scented, bubble filled water. As silently as only a cat can manage, Ciel padded over to the bath and jumped up to sit on the small shelf at the end where Sebastian's feet were.

As Sebastian's gleaming red eyes slid open to gaze at the cat, Ciel came to the rather startling realisation that Sebastian. Was. _**Naked**_. And he was ever so pleased that cats did not blush. It suddenly took a great deal of effort and self control to keep his eyes firmly fixed on Sebastian's. In a panicked bid to control himself, Ciel primly repositioned his paws to all line up neatly and his tail curled primly around his legs. Only the tip twitched, signifying his discomfort.

"What did you put into my supper?" he questioned, gaze firmly fastened on the demon's eyes. Sebastian sighed slightly.

"Just a little catnip...mixed with a bit of brandy. Just a little, a sort of posset if you will. I must have gotten the dosage of the catnip wrong."

"Why, what does catnip do?" Ciel asked, catching himself before his eyes could trail any lower than Sebastian's chin. The butler shifted slightly beneath the water and blew out sharply through his nose as some of the bubbles attempted to stray too close to his face.

"A little will have a small affect, usually making a cat sleepy. Larger amounts cause euphoria and high energy levels, making a cat feel playful and occasionally disoriented before causing them to sleep. I had thought the amount I'd given you would allow you to sleep through the night. I knew that you did not wish to be left alone but I very much needed to wash the mortal world away."

"I believe Alkippe may have given me a pouch of catnip earlier." Ciel said, ears twitching slightly at the memory.

"Ah. That might have caused the amount I gave you to have a smaller effect." Sebastian mused, eyes narrowing slightly as though he were feeling sleepy. "So, am I to assume that you do not wish to bathe?" he asked lightly, eyes hazily focussed on the cat.

Ciel had been watching the bubbles on the top of the bath water, both disgruntled and hugely relieved that they hid his butler's body from him. At the mention of a bath in reference to his own self, Ciel cringed back and found himself falling from his perch. Whilst processing the correct movement to make to ensure his safe landing, the cat found wet, bubbly hands caught him securely and pulled him against a warm, damp chest. He gulped and started to squirm slightly.

"You know, it is a complete fallacy that all cats despise water. Tigers enjoy swimming; many other of the great cats will swim if they need to. I once knew a cat, named Gemma, who played in puddles. You need not be afraid of the water Ciel." Ciel was not _afraid_ of the water. Not at all. He wasn't wriggling and struggling not to claw at Sebastian's pale skin in _fear_. He just did not wish to get his fur wet. And he told his butler is so many words. "Well, have you at least been grooming yourself?" Sebastian asked, still holding the cat to his chest firmly, one hand trailing relaxing fingers up and down the sensitive spine.

"That is quite disgusting." Ciel stated, reluctantly giving into his instinctual need to relax and raise his rump slightly to encourage more wonderful petting along his spine.

"Then I am going to have to teach you to enjoy bathing again." Sebastian said, gently depositing the grey cat onto the bathroom floor and climbing out himself. Ciel gulped, both at the thought of being subjected to more baths, and the fact that, though Sebastian had very swiftly wrapped a towel about his waist, his chest and stomach were fully on display. Maybe if learning to enjoy water, or at least tolerate it, meant seeing more of the finely sculpted torso of his butler, Ciel wouldn't mind as much as he feared.

* * *

"No! Let me go!" Ciel hissed and spat and writhed and clawed and bit at his butler's hands which were currently holding him above a shallow pool of water which would not even come to the top of the cat's paws.

"Ciel, it's only a very little bit of water." Sebastian said sedately, ignoring the cat's struggle to escape his clutches.

"NO!" Ciel yowled. This time he managed to bite his butler's wrist with an inconceivable contortion of his body. He smirked inwardly at the faint taste of blood. That would surely be enough to earn his freedom. Sebastian sighed.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, you will find you quite enjoy having a bath, even in this form." He soothed as he slowly lowered Ciel's feet closer to the water's surface. The cat doubled his efforts to flee. His shrieking tripled in volume and Sebastian blinked at the language coming from his young master's mouth. Even a sailor would have had to pause and admire some of the creative curses being thrown at him. At this momentary shocked stillness, Ciel performed a spectacular twist, leapt from his butler's arms and somehow managed to kick the tray of water in a way which left him perfectly dry but drenched Sebastian's lower legs. Then, quick as a gust of wind, the cat was gone.

* * *

"I don't like it." Ciel stated, back legs paddling in the air in distress.

"Ciel!" Sebastian huffed, his seemingly endless patience wearing thin. After all, this was at least the hundredth time in two weeks that Ciel had refused to even allow the smallest contact with water. This time his was holding the cat above a tray that had the very faintest sheen of moisture on it. "There is practically _no water_ there! Come along, just stand on the tray. You'll realise that the water..."

"NO! Sebastian, no!" Ciel squawked again, wriggling in his butler's hands, tail lashing anxiously.

"Fine." Sebastian grated, he had had enough. Let the boy be smelly. That would be the last night he'd allow him to sleep on his person however!

Ciel sulked as Sebastian plunked him down on the floor and stalked out of the room. He'd even looked slightly...angry...perhaps. The cat twitched his whiskers. It wasn't his fault he didn't want to come into contact with water. That's what cats did. And besides, it looked different through his cat eyes...not that he could define this 'different' quality. His eyes fell on the tray with its pathetic film of water. Perhaps it wouldn't have done any harm to at least humour Sebastian, the once. At least he hadn't tried to dunk Ciel into the bathtub or a sink full of water. Maybe, maybe he was being silly; maybe the water wasn't all that bad after all.

* * *

Ciel couldn't find Sebastian. He'd traipsed throughout the whole mansion, leaving a trail of little wet paw prints to begin with, where he'd finally been brave enough to dab one paw into the tray of water and had ended up splashing it around a little. He wasn't certain he liked the idea of a bath still, but getting his pads wet hadn't been _that_ bad. In fact, it had been rather entertaining. But he was now concerned that Sebastian was actually angry at him, or sulking...no, Ciel couldn't really imagine his butler sulking. It was rather concerning. Would Sebastian still feed him if he was angry? Could he stay angry at Ciel-the-cute-little-kitten? Perhaps when Ciel found his errant butler he would pull an adorable kitten pout and mew pathetically and win Sebastian back over. It would certainly be more entertaining than ordering his butler into a better mood.

For the second time in as many weeks, Ciel finally found who he was searching for in the bathroom, relaxed in the bath. After all the time Sebastian had been serving as his butler, Ciel had never even been aware of the fact the demon bathed. Now he had intimate knowledge of the fact. The cat peered around the servant's bathroom, taking in the differences and feeling oddly protective of his butler, wishing to offer his own bathroom for the raven's use. The tub was tin and looked rather uncomfortable. The floor was cold tiles and the walls bare whitewashed plaster. However, Sebastian seemed quite content as he reclined in the tub, steam rising around him and swirling slightly as he breathed. Ciel flicked his tail thoughtfully, wondering if he ought to disturb his butler or not.

"May I be of assistance young master?" Sebastian asked quietly, eyes still closed. Ciel's ears drooped slightly. Sebastian was definitely not happy.

"I..." he began, gleaming eyes lowered to the floor in a fit of bashfulness. He could discern the moment when Sebastian chose to open his eyes and focus his gaze on Ciel's small form.

"It is not yet time for your supper. If you want a snack however, I have left a bowl of pilchard curry in the dining room." Sebastian's gaze left Ciel again, the cat felt like he was being dismissed. Ignoring the need to lick his lips...if cats did indeed _have _lips, Ciel slowly peered up at Sebastian. Why did he feel so guilty! It really wasn't his fault that water worried him.

"I'm sorry!" he blurted out suddenly, both his and Sebastian's eyes widening in shock at the words. "I...I didn't mean to be so...so..." if he could blush he would look like an apple. As it was, he felt like his ears were on fire. "I just really didn't..." Ciel looked down, away from Sebastian. First he apologises in some kind of knee jerk reaction, now he can't get a coherent sentence out? Ciel sighed mentally and settled for the only course of action open to him.

* * *

Leaping rather gracefully to the edge of the bath, Ciel paused for a moment, his whole body teetering uncertainly. Sebastian watched him in silence. He was surprised that the little cat that was his master had even realised that he had done something to displease him. Ciel had always been rather self centred, not that it had ever surprised Sebastian. The child had been brought up that way, self centred and manipulative. So hearing an apology, especially a sincere apology, from his small master had been a shock to the system.

Sebastian was startled out of his reverie when two cold paw pads were hesitantly placed on the centre of his chest. Ciel was breathing quickly as he squished his front paws around on Sebastian's bare chest to find a stable position before moving as if in slow motion to very carefully place one of his back paws just where the water was lapping against Sebastian's lower ribs. The butler couldn't decide what to do, should he say something, ask Ciel to leave or allow him to continue...whatever it was he was aiming to achieve?

Ciel knew that he no longer had any choice in the matter. There was no possible way for him to return to his perch on the side of the bathtub. Sebastian wasn't saying anything, so he must be expecting Ciel to do something. The cat moved his last leg down in jerky movements, flinching as he submerged his whole paw in the water as he placed it on Sebastian's stomach. His own stomach felt unusual, all churning and warm at the realisation that Sebastian was very much naked and had no bubbles in the bath this time. He supposed that he could treat this prolonged contact with a nude Sebastian as a reward for subjecting himself to what amounted to (in his mind at least) water torture.

The little cat was trembling as he took steady steps backwards, walking down Sebastian's torso and submerging his rump and belly in the warm bath water. Sebastian was surprised, having thought Ciel would not notice that he was displeased and certainly hadn't thought that his young master would come into contact with water willingly, let alone by himself. It was clear he didn't like it. Ciel's tail was lashing, held up high in a subconscious effort to keep it dry. He detested the way his fur felt when water logged. It made him feel almost nauseous. And Sebastian still hadn't said anything! Ciel didn't think he could go any further. He wasn't ready to swim, he almost couldn't bear his current position, he was half dry – and about to leap out of the bath and go rolling down the carpeted hallways in an effort to dry himself. However, he really wanted to show Sebastian that he was sorry for being obstinate with him for the last two weeks. Sebastian had been very patient and calm and kind towards Ciel and hadn't tried to rush him into something he really didn't want to do. If Ciel had simply attempted to oblige, Sebastian probably wouldn't be upset with him right now.

Sebastian decided to speak up when Ciel, pupils wide in either fear or distaste, began to crouch down and walk backwards again. It was clear that he did not like his situation and Sebastian couldn't have been more proud of his little master. It clearly had taken a lot of courage and strength of will for the cat to do this. And he'd done it for Sebastian. The raven demon smiled and picked the cat up, cradling him like a baby with his tummy on show. Ciel blinked up at him in shock, his bedraggled tail trailing to touch the water with its very tip.

"I forgive you." Sebastian murmured, petting the top of Ciel's head with a finger tip.

* * *

Ciel felt very sleepy after Sebastian had dried his fur, brushed him and petted him then fed him lots of delicious fish and a biscuit. Curled up on his butler's lap in the lounge, right in front of one of the large windows which was letting in warm orange late sunlight, Ciel felt completely at ease. Sebastian was reading aloud from an old story book, the hand which was not engaged in holding the book was smoothing down Ciel's fur between page turns. The story was about dragons and faeries, knights and princesses. It was childish, but exciting in its own right. And Sebastian's rich voice was deep and soothing before changing to express each character's own individual voice. Ciel was purring, the sound of his own purrs was pleasant to his ears and the way it made his chest and throat rumble was therapeutic. Sebastian seemed to be enjoying their time together as well. He had a small smile on his face as he read.

Ciel liked it when his butler wore glasses. They added an inexplicable sense of mystery and charm to the raven demon, although, the delicate silver chain which allowed Sebastian to dangle the lenses from his neck was something of a torment to Ciel's cat impulses. He very much wished to bat at and maybe even gnaw on the tempting strands of shining material. However, it would not do to distract Sebastian from his reading.

"Ciel, you ought to be heading to bed." Sebastian said quietly. The yawning cat in his lap was in such a fuzzy state of mind that it took his a few minutes to realise that Sebastian was no longer reading, but addressing him directly.

"Well then, let's go, I suppose." Ciel muttered, not happy at the prospect of removing himself from his comfortable position.

"I'm afraid that I have some work to do and will not be able to accompany you tonight." Sebastian said, closing his book and placing it on the table beside his chair. When he returned his gaze to his young master, he was met with the biggest, most pleading pair of luminescent eyes he had ever had the misfortune to be directed with.

"But, Sebastian, I don't want to be alone." Ciel mewled quite pitifully. His butler looked to almost be in pain.

"I really do need to do some administrative work..." Sebastian protested feebly.

"Please Sebastian. I don't like sleeping in that big bed all by myself." Ciel would have pouted if he'd been able to.

"I could swiftly fashion you a smaller, cushioned bed?" Sebastian offered hopefully, mind focussed on the paperwork he needed to produce to register the fact that Ciel was soon to be a young adult.

"No, I want to stay with you." Ciel said stubbornly.

"Very well." Sebastian sighed, shifting Ciel to lie against his chest so that he could stand and leave the room in search of needle, thread and along, soft swathe of fabric.

* * *

**A.N – **There you go my wonderful readers! I'm sorry if this isn't particularly interesting. I did write it in between the most boring aspects of my dissertation and just needed something cute and fluffy to act as a pick-me-up.

Thank you for your kind words of support. My great grandma (little nana) is doing better and is out of the hospital. She's had to move from her rest home into a nursing home. I should be visiting her one weekend soon. She's a tough old bird is my nana!


	23. Frogs and Delirium

**A.N – **Hello to my lovely readers. Please refer to the second A.N in regards to my sincere and abject apologies.

**Disclaimer –** They're not mine guys. I bet they're glad for it too!

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Sebastian had become accustomed to toting his sleepy kitten Ciel around as he worked. He was most definitely fond of the time they spent curled up together reading and found great joy in those moments when Ciel felt playful and would chase trailing ribbons and bat a small ball around. All in all, Ciel as a cat was just Sebastian's cup of tea. However, he missed his young master's human form and was so very excited to see his demon form for the first time. He was not able to really remember his own transition from childhood and was therefore uncertain of the process that Ciel was to undertake. Of course, he knew the fundamental basics of caring for his small master, but was not sure about how long it would take for Ciel to emerge from his metaphorical chrysalis. He wasn't concerned though. He could feel the featherlike pressure of the souls he'd infused his master's home with. They were there, soft and comforting, promising to provide nutrition and strength to the growing demon. Probably enough to last a year, considering Sebastian's zealous efforts in cultivating a large number of foolish humans. He had to be sure to support Ciel, he didn't have a partner to trade off with; Sebastian was all Ciel had.

The pair had formed a sort of routine. Sebastian would carry out his household chores whilst Ciel slept, finishing with making his breakfast – which usually woke the cat up. After breakfast the pair would go to tend the animals, Ciel avoided the goats and the rabbits (which were scared of him) but sat with the chickens, who seemed to know instinctively that they were safe with him. Sebastian fed and watered the animals, milked the goats and collected the eggs before he and Ciel went to visit the horses. Abraxas always made a fuss of Ciel, snuffling at him and whickering until the cat came to sit on the young horse's back. Then, as Sebastian exercised Amaya in the paddock, Abra and Ciel would go on a tour of the grounds. Once the horses were fed, groomed and exercised, Sebastian and Ciel would return to the house, Ciel would have a small meal for lunch and then they would read or play or paint. Ciel liked to paint with his paws or by holding a paint brush in his mouth. A couple of occasions had arisen where Ciel felt particularly energetic and restless. Sebastian would change his form into that of his beloved Raven and would allow the young cat to stalk him, cackling as his young master's movements made him aware of his presence and sent him flying to a high branch or other such inaccessible perch. Then, they would bathe. Sometimes Sebastian would give Ciel a sort of sponge bath, other times he would share his bath with the cat. Ciel would sit on Sebastian's shoulder, far from the water until his butler insisted on bathing him quickly before bed. They'd both dry off, Sebastian would spend a while brushing and drying Ciel's fur perfectly and then they would curl up together as Sebastian read aloud. Once Ciel fell asleep, Sebastian might read something for himself or softly play the piano, but after a few hours of peace, the routine would start again. It was pleasant.

It was in the early morning; Sebastian was wielding a feathered duster as he carried a snoozing Ciel around the house, when there came a knock at the door. Dancing the feathered cleaning device over the tops of shelves and over ornaments, Sebastian moved swiftly over to the door, tutting to himself as he saw the dust resettle onto its perch. Dusting was such a hopeless endeavour. He opened the door with a polite smile and his eyes met the wide, luminous amber orbs of his mother. She stared at him, mouth slightly agape and Sebastian fought back the urge to blush. "Mother, what a pleasant surprise!" he intoned, leaning forward to press a kiss to his mother's warm cheek. She didn't react and he drew back uncomfortably. After a few moments' further silence he sighed in exasperation.

"I know, it looks silly. However, you know how much I detest dusting. I didn't wish for my clothes to become soiled. That is why I am wearing the apron."

Alkippe blinked and looked Sebastian up and down. Finally her voice came out whisper thin. "Sebastian...dear...I, what I mean to say is...Ciel is just so _young_ and I hadn't imagined you being..." She trailed off uncomfortably. Sebastian quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't _always_ wear an apron mother." He said, unsure what was distressing the female. She stared at him and pointed at the slight bulge at his midriff.

"What is this?" she asked. Sebastian looked down at his apron covered stomach and beamed.

"Isn't it precious!" he cooed, stroking slender fingers over the small bulge there. Alkippe stared at him in silence. "He likes to sleep close to me." Sebastian explained and saw further confusion enter his mother's eyes. Smiling, he gently lifted the apron's hem, revealing the long swathe of fabric he'd tied, sling like, around his neck. Curled up in the sling, as though it were a hammock, Ciel was comfortably sleeping, a low purr reverberating through his delicate rib cage. "Come on in." Sebastian urged, stepping back to allow his mother enter the home.

* * *

"You thought I was _what_?" Sebastian spluttered through a mouthful of tea, struggling to keep himself from choking as he stared at Alkippe with wide eyes.

"Well, what was I_ supposed _to think dear?" Alkippe asked calmly, reaching out with her handkerchief to mop up the dribble of tea her son had about to drip from the tip of his nose. "You looked as though you were nesting; your stomach showed all signs of a young one growing and...well, it seemed to be the only logical explanation."

"You thought that I..._nesting_!" Sebastian was shocked. First of all, as he had stated to Ciel – what seemed like a very long time ago – Demon young were born only of a very close, loving relationship. Alkippe knew that Sebastian had not been amongst others of his kind enough to establish such a relationship, besides which, she'd clearly mentioned Ciel when she'd questioned him on his apparent pregnancy. Now, that could be construed as her questioning the logic behind caring for _two_ young demons, but Sebastian thought otherwise.

"You think I love him?" he asked softly, gaze flicking downwards to observe the fluffy bundle still fast asleep resting on his lap. Alkippe smiled.

"No dear, I know you do." She said, smoothing a lock of her son's hair behind his ear.

Before Sebastian could respond, a sullen voice interrupted.

"Breakfast." Came the low growl as Ciel stirred from his dreams and began to awake.

Alkippe smiled and quickly covered her lips with two fingers in the effort of holding back a merry giggle at the stern little voice. Sebastian looked at his young charge helplessly and peeked shyly through a veil of dark hair at his mother.

"I'll get something ready, you stay here." She said, rising fluidly and moving out of the room before Sebastian could say anything.

In the few moments of quiet before Ciel properly awoke, Sebastian pondered his feelings for the maturing child. He knew all along that he'd cared more for the boy than any demon should their meal. And then, once Ciel had been reborn as a demon, Sebastian had slowly become fonder of him. But did this caring mean love? He'd considered that the boy's maturing had given rise to a sort of infatuation, but his jealousy at Ciel and Meri spending time together, and the absolute fury at the once angel trying to feed his young master had hinted at some deeper kind of emotion. If Alkippe believed Sebastian to be in love, perhaps he was. Though, this felt nothing like he felt towards Kainda, and they'd planned on becoming mates. It was a lot to chase around and around in his mind, and Sebastian was thankful when Ciel stirred, beautiful eyes blinking open and he wriggled around to stretch out his sleep stiff limbs and muscles.

"Sebastian? Why are we not in the dining room?" Ciel questioned, mind hazily recognising that there was no breakfast in the vicinity and his stomach expressed its distaste of the lack of sustenance.

"Ah, we have a guest little one, my mother has taken it upon herself to prepare you your morning meal. I'm sure she will be back any minute now." Ciel huffed indignantly and clawed his way from Sebastian's lap to sit upon his left shoulder.

"I'm hungry." He said, a pout evident in his voice, if not his face. Sebastian chuckled causing Ciel to hide his head in the choppy strands of ebony black hair around his butler's ear. It wasn't his fault, it _was_ breakfast time after all!

It didn't take long for Alkippe to enter the room and place the bowl she was carrying onto the floor for Ciel, who was no longer upset by the fact he had to eat with his face and that the floor was the most comfortable place to eat. He sprang over to his meal excitedly and began to eat, tail lashing around as he remained wary for someone who wanted to steal his food.

* * *

After Ciel had eaten, the two adults and the cat dealt with the animals before returning to the house. They settled in a room which Sebastian had filled with toys for Ciel to play with. They were toys aimed at cats, and Ciel could quite happily entertain himself for hours in the room with the occasional help of Sebastian winding up a clockwork toy for the cat to stalk and pounce upon.

Whilst his master played, Sebastian caught up with his mother. They talked of little things, happy to be in relative isolation, able to become reacquainted and settle into their familial rhythms. Sebastian can't help but be repeatedly distracted by a small lump on his mother's shoulder. It was hidden beneath her flowing pale blue dress with long bell-like sleeves. It moved in a pattern akin to breathing but in disharmony to Alkippe's own expanding and contracting rib cage. Though the raven demon tried to keep his focus on their conversation, he found his eyes drawn to the pulsing lump and ended up frowning. A part of him was concerned, despite knowing that there was so little chance of anything being wrong with his mother. Demons were difficult to harm except through repeated deadly wounds from entities of their own strength or stronger. Alkippe, gentle though she was, was a strong demon. Sometimes it seemed that she was even stronger than her mate.

"Mother...what is that on your shoulder?" Sebastian asked softly when a lull settled itself peacefully in their discourse. Alkippe blinked at her son and then down at her shoulder.

"Did I not mention when I arrived?" she questioned, looking slightly lost before giggling. "Oh, that's right, you surprised me with your baby bump!" she cooed. Sebastian raised an eyebrow and glanced at the tip of Ciel's tail as the cat disappeared behind a nearby piece of furniture. Alkippe stayed silent for a while but shook herself free of her thoughts when Sebastian prompted her with a clearing of his throat. "It's Meri, dear."

Sebastian froze, eyeing the small size of the bulge. His lips drew back from his teeth in a feral snarl. "What have you _done_! He can't be here!" Alkippe had drawn out the maturing once-cherub and stared at her son with Meri sat in her palm.

"Sebastian!" she sounded shocked at his behaviour, even as she scolded him.

"Mother!" Sebastian hissed, staring at the frog. "He is _poisonous_!"

"Sebastian, that is enough! I told Meri to get close to Ciel. I wanted you to realise that you wanted more than your original relationship." Alkippe was soothing a fingertip over the smooth head of the little blue frog. Sebastian hadn't meant poisonous personality wise. Meri's animal form was a vibrant sapphire blue fading to a more turquoise tone along the legs. He was speckled with navy spots and his stomach was a paler shade of sapphire than the rest of the body. In all he looked like a very large poison dart frog, though the colouring did not quite match.

It wasn't Alkippe Sebastian was concerned about. Nothing save the poison of a very strong, Black classed demon in their demonic form could harm another adult demon. Ciel, however, had been learning to hunt, and were he to try and ingest the brightly coloured – oh so tempting and similar to his preferred human confections in colour – frog, he could be in grave danger. Sebastian never was particularly refined at potion making. He wasn't certain that he would be able to swiftly brew an antidote.

Before Sebastian could reach out to do _something_, snatch the frog from his mother and hide it, or squash it or protect it – a blur of coal and black and white leapt gracefully over the back of Alkippe's chair and Meri was gone.

* * *

Ciel had become bored of the ribbons and balls and feather and toys and the adults were dull as they talked about mundane things of little to no consequence. They were even sitting unnaturally still, so Ciel had no reason to pounce on the smallest of movement. Not a single twitch of the foot. Nothing. Ciel had decided upon finding a spot in which to nap, considering the singular warm patch of sunlight slanting in behind Alkippe's chair when Sebastian's tone of voice changed and pricked his attention. Something was wrong. He peered around from behind the furniture, eyes immediately focusing on the brightly coloured, ever so blue, object sitting in Alkippe's hand.

Ciel hadn't wanted something so badly for as long as he could remember.

The colour of that thing, whatever it was, ignited his senses. His nose filled with the scent of burning sugar and fresh blueberries, it made his mouth water. He could taste something tantalisingly sweet and tart.

He was going to get it.

Ignoring the small bell like shrill at the back of his mind, warning him...Ciel crouched down low. He had one shot at this. Sebastian obviously wanted this treat for himself. Ciel would win.

A pad of one paw, a slight wriggle. Utter focus. Grace took over his body as he veritably flew through the air, mouth closing gently around his prize as he used Alkippe's lap as a launch pad back to the floor.

Then he was gone. He smirked inwardly at the faint, exasperated call of 'Ciel!'

* * *

Sebastian cursed himself in dozens of ancient languages as he scanned the room desperately for his young master. Had he been paying sufficient attention to his surroundings, he would have been able to prevent this one way or another.

Alkippe had gone white. Even she had realised that, though the animal form of a poisonous demon only caused a pleasant tingling on a grown demon's skin were contact made, a demon child was able to die from it. It would take longer than a human, but not significantly.

They began searching for the little cat and the frog, Sebastian getting more and more frantic as Ciel was not responding to his name being called repeatedly. Wide mahogany eyes turned to his mother swirling with such fear and concern that Alkippe felt incredibly guilty for her mistake.

"I'll work on the antidote darling, you find those boys." With that, she swept into the kitchen, tying her long sleeves up with ribbons so as to keep them out of the way.

Sebastian resumed his search, mind completely focussed on the pulsing tug of his contract. After all they'd been through, Sebastian did not intend to lose his young master – especially not when a _frog_ was to blame.

* * *

Ciel ran into a small linen closet and promptly spat his prize onto the wooden floorboards. His tongue felt swollen and his nose was itchy and prickling. He swiped a paw over his snout and flinched when his pad began to tingle. He shuffled around uncomfortably before focussing on what he'd bought with him.

"Ciel..." The blue squishy creature was talking to him! Ciel wrinkled his nose. It looked like a frog, but frogs were green or brown...not this vibrant shade of blue.

Then again, frogs didn't speak.

"...is swollen." Continued the voice that Ciel finally managed to identify as Meri's. It seemed that the once-cherub was also maturing. Ciel shook his head and realised that he must have missed a large portion of the frog's words.

"..._?_...! ! !" Ciel tried to ask Meri to repeat himself, but he found his tongue didn't want to move from its current position pasted to the roof of his mouth. Besides, his throat felt tight and constricted, all blocked and uncomfortable. The cat gave a little hacking cough in an attempt to clear his airways.

"Oh my Lord, oh My God! Oh dear. Oh no! Oh..." Ciel firmly batted the frog around the head with his tingly paw in an attempt to quieten him into an explanation, flinching back as the tingling sensation intensified and began to burn faintly. "Ciel! I'm poisonous! What...what if I've killed you! Oh! Please don't die!"

Meri's voice was shrill and loud. Ciel supposed it was because he was talking in tandem with the other, shifty looking frog. This one was wavering, undulating perhaps, refusing to stay still as it flashed from blue to green to pink to white and back. Ciel tilted his head to once side to better observe this second frog, who had decided to bring a friend along. The shift in his balance caused him to topple over onto his side, chin flat on the ground; rump in the air.

No one had ever told him that floorboards were so warm and rough, yet oh so comfortable.

Far off, muffled and echoing – or maybe it was loud and resonating...regardless, from somewhere within his hearing range, a voice began to intone a word. It was beautiful and irritating and repetitive. Ciel couldn't discern the meaning of the word. But he liked it. In fact, he liked it more than the blissful absence of awareness of his extremities. So much better than tingly stinging discomfort.

A new voice entered the scene. It was much more beautiful than the first, which incidentally, was getting more mellow and frantic.

A piercing beam of light infiltrated Ciel's poison-hazed paradise, causing him to grunt – the closest thing to any communication he could manage. The second voice now sounded like a cascading harmony, it felt warm to the tips of his nonexistent ears.

Ciel was floating.

A tiny part of some indecipherable aspect of his being - that wasn't really there - a kind of fuzzy part of himself, but oh so smooth and shining...probably purple in sound and staccato in appearance was whispering in a painfully loud way that something was wrong.

Very, _very_ wrong.

Ciel ignored it, shoving it aside, to wherever his nose had danced off to.

Far away, like the voices and his sight.

He floated. It felt good.

* * *

**A.N –** uh...do you guys hate me?

First off. I am ever so ever so EVER SO sorry for the lateness of this chapter. My little nana passed away the week following my last update. I am still a bit lost and confused emotionally.

Two days before her funeral I failed my final project. I am now working on it to get it up to a pass so that I can graduate in 3 months.

So, I've been struggling to gather any coherency to write. My creative juices have been redirected into knitting. Lol. I swear I'm not an old lady. Though I am feeling increasingly old. :D

Secondly, I apologise for the ending to this chapter. I don't know that you'll get it. I don't know if it's clear that it makes no sense because Ciel is delirious from the poison. I don't know what happens to one's physical or mental state when one is poisoned with a lethal substance that doesn't kill one immediately. I imagine it would be much more painful and gross than this.

That said, I enjoyed writing Ciel's incoherency immeasurably. I hope it's not irritating and that it might even be fun to read. XD

Please review.

Let me know if something doesn't make sense. Tell me what you liked best or bits you don't think work.

Love you guys!

_**Dreamy xxx**_


	24. Death Watch

_**July 10th 2012  
**_

**A.N – **Faster update? Exciting no? Hope the chapter's ok.

**Disclaimer – **The characters you love aren't mine. Though I do realise I've heavily sprinkled this story with my own characters, I hope you like them well enough and that they fit into Ciel and Sebastian's world.

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

If Alkippe had thought Sebastian had appeared to be nesting before, she was shocked at his current whirlwind of behaviour. By the time she'd finished the batch of potion that would hopefully help Ciel, Sebastian had found the boys and relocated them to a small room settled behind the fireplace of the large dining room. It was small and dark, but cosy. The dining room's fire was always lit due to the fact the room was so large and cold with its long windows. The 'nook' as Ciel had always called the room, was therefore always warm and quiet due to its lack of windows and the fact that the dining room was rarely actually used. There were smaller, more intimate rooms for eating with family and friends.

Sebastian had shoved Meri up onto a high shelf before creating a nest for Ciel's unconscious form. It started off as a ring of cushions, was bolstered with rolled blankets and draped with soft fabrics. Ciel was gently nestled into the little hollow at the centre and curled up as if naturally asleep. Sebastian took up a protective position sitting with Ciel's 'nest' between his legs; body leant over the cat as the butler gazed down with worried eyes. Ciel hadn't even twitched since he'd fallen unconscious; only his laboured breathing and staccato thudding of his labouring heart gave sign that he was still alive.

"Mother. You have to leave." Sebastian clipped out the moment she entered the room with the antidote. Alkippe froze, golden eyes widening.

"But...Sebastian, dear. I want to help." She said softly, tucking a lock of her son's ebony hair behind his ear.

"You can't help. Ciel needs all the care and energy he can get..."

"Then why do you want me to leave? Two can offer more..." Alkippe was cut off in return.

"Because. It's _your fault_!" Sebastian hissed. His mother took two steps back from him, an absolutely heartbroken expression on her face. "_You_ bought that poisonous little beast here. You know that I don't want him around Ciel, yet you came here. You directly endangered him by putting him in the vicinity of a deadly poison. And your little _**frog**_," that word was spat out, dripping with utter loathing, "is still here. Sapping the nourishment that Ciel is going to need to survive."

"There's plenty..." Alkippe tried to soothe her son, knowing that this hostility was down to his worry, but still hurt by his words. Her eyes prickled uncomfortably. It had been centuries since she'd last cried. It hurt even more knowing her son was the one causing her pain.

"You do not know that for certain. I gathered those souls for Ciel. I am most certainly not willing to risk Ciel's health due to another child sapping his sustenance away. You're the one who said that I loved Ciel...I don't know for certain, but I do know that I care for him more than anything. I won't allow the one who harmed Ciel to remain here, endangering him further by drawing away the resources he needs to keep him fed. He's unconscious; he can't eat mortal food so he'll need even more energy from the souls to survive." Sebastian ran a gentle finger down the curve of Ciel's spine and frowned sadly as it garnered no reaction whatsoever.

He didn't look up as he heard Alkippe scoop Meri into her hands and leave.

* * *

It was harder than Sebastian had thought it would be. Watching over Ciel who, though as snug as could be in the nest Sebastian had constructed, was so dangerously ill that he was beyond the Raven's reach. It was difficult to come to terms with his lack of control over the situation. Always before, had Ciel been ill, Sebastian had been able to concoct a vile tasting, yet highly effective medicine to cure his frail Master. This situation was so vastly different that it was almost humorous. Almost.

Sebastian regretted driving his mother away within three days of doing so. He had never felt the need to talk to someone so badly. And so, despite doubting he was even conscious of Sebastian's presence, let alone able to respond, Sebastian talked to Ciel. The sound of his own voice was something of a comfort, it made him feel that Ciel was listening, conscious in some part of his words. Most of what he spoke of was of little consequence. Small thoughts or shared experiences described from his own point of view. A small part of Sebastian scoffed at his apparent dependency on Ciel. Wasn't he perfectly happy mere centuries ago to be alone in the quiet to pursue whatever took his fancy? The rest of him missed Ciel abominably, and only three days had passed.

"I used to hate tea, you know, before you summoned me?" Sebastian mused as he sipped at his chamomile tea, hoping the warm liquid would lend him some sense of comfort and perhaps the scent would infiltrate its way into Ciel's subconscious and offer up its calming qualities. "I still don't always enjoy the flavour, but it _is_ a calming sort of ritual. And, it reminds me of you." The last was spoken very softly, as though the demon were ashamed.

Usually Sebastian would not allow such sentimental words to enter his mind, let alone escape his lips. And talking to Ciel as though he had died was also completely out of character. He'd never understood why humans would sit at the side of a grave marker and spill their hearts out to the air as though the deceased had nothing better to do than linger on the mortal realm to listen to their woes. Of course, Ciel was alive, so it wasn't quite as bad, and there was a small chance that the cat demon was still aware of his surroundings despite being unable to interact with it. He hoped that, were this true, his rambling words would offer Ciel some idea of time passing, let him know that Sebastian was there. The problem was, there was so little that Sebastian could do to help his Young Master that he needed some form of outlet to express his worry and desire to be doing something more than he already was.

When the little cat began to shake and shudder due to the fever wracking his little body, Sebastian would take his animal form and fluff his feather as he sat on the nest, warming his Master as though he were a nestling. Sebastian checked Ciel's temperature frequently, moving the cat onto a magically cooled towel and fanning him for a while to offer comfort and regulate his temperature slightly. Every morning and evening, Sebastian washed Ciel, comfortably settling into the form of a cat as he groomed the poorly kitten. His rumbling purrs were yet another effort to lend comfort, not an expression of content. Other than these small tasks, however, there was nothing more that Sebastian could do for Ciel. The antidote was an oily substance which, when mixed with a little water, was placed in a metal basin suspended over a candle. The vapours were inhaled. It made Sebastian feel dizzy and lethargic to be in prolonged contact, but he supposed it was just as well. The need to remove himself from Ciel's medication ensured that Sebastian made time to tidy around the house and grounds as well as tend to the animals and spend time interacting with them. If he spread his different duties out throughout the day, Sebastian felt that he was keeping himself occupied and it gave him a small reprieve from the heartbreaking sight of his little master fighting for his life.

* * *

It took two weeks for Ciel to show any signs that the antidote was working. At first Sebastian thought he was imagining the tiniest of twitches in the cat's paws and the tip of his tail. But when he started to hear a low grumbling moan or the tiniest of purrs, Sebastian knew his Young Master was surely on the road to recovery. He tried to put a stop to his one sided conversations, but they worryingly seemed to have become habitual.

"Abra tried to come into the house today." Sebastian confided. "I don't know if he thought he'd heard you or has just come to the realisation that this is where you are. He misses you Ciel, he's gotten taller again and I think we'll be able to teach you both to jump soon. I've started working him over poles on the ground. He doesn't have to jump them, but I want him to get used to them so that when I ask him to trot over a line of poles, he'll know what's expected. I would like you to be a part of this, but I suppose it's not the best idea to put two inexperienced jumpers together." Sebastian huffed at an irritating bit of hair that was dangling in his eyes. He'd hoped that talk of jumping, something Ciel had been eager to learn, would jolt him out of this stupor. Of course, a cat couldn't sit a jumping horse, so perhaps it wasn't such an enticement as he'd first thought.

It took a further three weeks of miniscule movements and almost inaudible sounds emitting from his Young Master's throat before Ciel managed to open his eyes. Sebastian was thrilled to have been privy to the glimmer of the cat's gorgeous eyes. A slow blink was all he received before Ciel lapsed back into slumber, but Sebastian was ecstatic. With the signs that Ciel was over the worst, Sebastian also noted that the antidote had evaporated away. He decided that Ciel's fever had broken and that he would likely benefit from being exposed to the changes of light throughout the day to help his body's natural cycles re-establish themselves. This meant moving Ciel and his nest up into the boy's bedroom.

Within another week, Ciel found enough strength to eat solid food, though he couldn't keep anything down except for scrambled eggs. He was still weak and wobbly on his paws but expressed the desire to sit on his window seat during the day. Sebastian obligingly constructed a ramp so the unbalanced cat would not need to jump any great heights. A simple set of steps was placed beside the bed so Ciel really didn't have to jump at all. With Ciel awake, Sebastian resumed his original methods of bathing; it felt uncomfortable to groom Ciel as a cat all of a sudden. No mention of his monologue-conversations was made; Sebastian assumed they'd gone unheard and finally managed to desist in the personal outpourings. Instead he became the attentive nursemaid and was disgruntled by the fact that Ciel suddenly wanted to be left alone in peace.

The only time the cat welcomed his butler's presence was when he came to feed him, and oddly enough, at bed time. Ciel slept throughout the day, dozing in the light of the sun. However, it wasn't really restful, he slept lightly and kept waking himself as if in reminder that he was no longer plunged into the heavy poison induced coma. Sebastian came every night to give Ciel his evening meal, to bathe him and brush him before plying him with a warm posset to aid him towards slumber. Then, tucking the cat under a blanket in his nest, Sebastian would sit close by as he read from the large collection of story books the library had to offer. One hand caressed Ciel's fur, lulling him towards sleep. Each night, when Sebastian had been the one to send him into slumber, Ciel rested deeply; dreams warm and bright though fuzzy around the edges were a pleasant alternate to his dreams of the fever returning. These restful nights did nothing to improve Ciel's mood however.

* * *

"Ciel, why are you wearing your cat ears and tail?" Sebastian asked, not truly registering his master's newest transformation at first. He'd been instructed by his Young Master to _move_ the rose gardens so that they were visible from his bedroom window. Of course, what kind of Phantomhive butler would he be if he could not accomplish such a small task?

"If you haven't realised by now that I am, in fact, a cat...I am quite concerned for your mental capacity." Ciel ground out blandly as he watched the horses meander through the gardens.

Sebastian stared at the curled up form of his master who was gazing out of the window, in a bad mood ever since he'd awoken from his poison-induced slumber. Finally the thought that Ciel was – in fact – no longer a cat, descended upon Sebastian and he frowned. "You've found your demon form and didn't show me?" he asked, rather hurt by this thought. Of course, he hadn't shown Ciel his own demonic form, but that was because humans often couldn't bear it.

Ciel yawned. "What are you talking about, Sebastian? I'm still..." uncurling, Ciel looked down at his hind legs to find two pale, hairless legs ending in dark grey paws. He sat upright in a panic and turned to Sebastian. "Sebastian! You said I'd find my demon form! This isn't ...what?" Sebastian was staring at him with an unusual expression flickering over his face and very wide red eyes.

"Something...that ever forsaken cherub's poison must have caused...Ciel!" Ciel's eyes widened at the look of absolute panic and maybe even fear in Sebastian's face.

"Hey...hey, shh. It's ok. I'm sure it's just a little...mix between two forms. Maybe tomorrow I'll find my demon form. It'll be ok." Ciel said awkwardly, trying to comfort his butler. His own words tweaked his attention. "Sebastian? What's wrong with my voice?"

Ciel had become accustomed to his deepened voice before he'd started maturing and turned into his animal form. As a cat, his voice had been different. More like Sebastian's in a way, silken and proud. Not as deep, but not childlike in any way. His voice now sounded different again. Soft around the edges, high and lilting...and Sebastian was still staring at him. Looking at his butler again, another question sprung to Ciel's mind.

"Why are you so tall?"

* * *

Sebastian had moved the full length mirror from the bathroom to position it in front of a nervous Ciel. He was used to Sebastian being taller than him. He always had been, _especially_ so when Ciel had been in his animal form. However, now he was caught between human and animal (or perhaps human and demon) forms, he had expected his butler to be no taller than the last time Ciel had been human. His maturing had allowed his human form to grow taller. Where his head had barely been able to rest against Sebastian's solar plexus, when wearing a slight heel; his growth spurt had made it possible for Ciel to rest his head just about against his butler's heart, allowing his to fit almost snugly under Sebastian's chin.

Now, however, Sebastian was _even taller_ than when he'd been teaching Ciel to dance for the first time. Ciel thought that, were he to stand before his butler, he would be lucky to be able to see his navel...if demons did indeed have navels. He would have to ask Sebastian. Ciel shook his head to clear his mind and wrinkled his nose at the whooshing of air past his delicate cat ears. He had already ascertained that his feline ears, perched atop his head, and flicking tail were indeed a part of his anatomy. It was odd to see cat paws on the ends of his human legs, though where the light dusting of silvery dark hairs hair had disappeared off of his legs to, Ciel was unsure of. It was with great trepidation and a hint of excitement that Ciel slowly looked up at the mirror. Sebastian hadn't spoken a single word since his garbled sentence and his horrified expression had concerned Ciel a great deal.

Once he'd accustomed his eyes to the glare of the sun off of the mirror, Ciel froze. He couldn't believe what he saw. And yet, when his ears pulled back in alarm, the image in the mirror copied the motion exactly. It had to be him, it wasn't a trick.

The only problem was...the person in the mirror...

Was a toddler.

* * *

**A.N – **I love you all! Thank you for your understanding and your kind words. You make me feel fuzzy and warm. I hope this chapter's ok...I know at least one reviewer's been quite anxious for Ciel to desist in being a cat for a while now. So, here you are! Probably not what you were expecting...me neither!

I'll try to find something exciting for our lovely demons to do. I don't know how many of you love the fluff and sweetness as much as I do! XD

Please continue to review. You have no idea how much my heart swells whenever I glimpse the number of reviews my feeble mind's doodling has garnered.

Hopefully my new muse (I can't draw very well, but I've been doodling him everywhere, he looks like a faery dinosaur!) will help me write a new chapter quickly.

_**Dreamy xxx**_


	25. Terrible Two's

_**17.07.12**_

**A.N – **This chapter was very fun to write. I've been spending a lot of time around young children recently (babies to 5 year olds) as my family is huge and I happen to be visiting a lot. Ciel's behaviour is very true to my almost 3 year old male cousin. :)

This chapter was finished by the 16th, but I wanted to hold onto it a while in the hopes that I'd make a head start on the next chapter! Less than a week to write it, I'm rather shocked at myself!

**Disclaimer – **Only the words are mine...and they're not really _mine_ I suppose...but the plot is!

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Ciel stared at his reflection as if he were silently daring the visage to return to that which he expected to see when gazing into the looking glass.

It didn't.

Ciel had expected to change form again at some point. However, his expectation had been to discover his demon form. A thought struck him.

"Sebastian," he growled, voice childishly grumpy rather than fierce like he wished it to be, "this had best not be my demon form. If it is...If it is I, uh, I fully demand a refund!" his tail lashed as he glowered at his butler, unaware that his suddenly young body was actually pouting in the most adorable manner.

Sebastian gazed down at his diminutive master with a blank expression. It would serve no purpose to panic, and there were definitely many positive aspects to not becoming attached to the very young child with cat-like features. If Ciel was right in thinking this was some kind of way point between animal and demon form, Sebastian wasn't likely to ever see it again. If he gave into the desire to cuddle and tickle and otherwise evoke smiles from this adorable toddler, Sebastian would be heartbroken when Ciel finally did reach adulthood.

"I sincerely doubt this is your demon form. It's most likely an effect bought on by the poison, your animal form has melded with your human form...I expect its temporary..." Sebastian quirked an eyebrow at Ciel's suddenly trembling lower lip.

"Then why do I look to be three years old!" he wailed.

Sebastian gave into his instinct and drew the child close to his chest, wrapping warm arms about the fragile torso. Ciel was already showing signs of a regressing mentality, behaving more like the age his body had assumed, rather than how old he was chronologically. Even his Master's recent small affection-seeking overtures had not readied Sebastian for the child's clinging grip; suddenly a hot wet cheek was nestled somewhat stickily against Sebastian's neck. Ciel snuffled through his tears, inhaling Sebastian's scent and slowly calmed as his carer rocked him and hummed a lullaby. The adult did not have the heart to say that Ciel looked even younger perhaps than a three year old. His enormous eyes had retained the colour of his cat-irises, all shades of blue and purples mixing to create two similarly coloured eyes, one more intensely purple than the other, an echo of the contract Sebastian could still feel between them.

* * *

There was no doubt about it; Ciel had entered his 'terrible twos' with gusto. Sebastian was run ragged by the child. At first he had been certain that Ciel still retained his personality traits from before this transformation, but it appeared that toddler-Ciel thought it fine to throw temper tantrums, to refuse to eat and even to wet the bed...although that last aspect might not truly be a conscious decision. Ciel refused to bathe, to brush his teeth, to wear certain clothes. He tore off his stockings on a regular basis and quite frankly would rather potter about the house in his birthday suit. Quite frequently, Sebastian would find the child bereft of shorts and undergarments, struggling to pull off his shirt which had managed to become stuck around his cat ears causing the child large amounts of distress.

He regretted the loss of his teenage Master fiercely.

* * *

"BASTEEE-Annnnnnn!" Ciel called from where he'd been left sat on a chamber pot. "I not need a wee-wee." The child's voice clearly bought the image of a pouting face to Sebastian's mind. He'd secured the child to the chamber pot by use of threats.

"You will not get a bedtime story until you use the pot." Sebastian stated coldly from the doorway to the child's bedroom. If one would think this to be cruel treatment, they would be sadly mistaken. Ciel had been completely capable of using the toilet for years. Besides, when he did soil the bedclothes, the child proceeded to make a huge fuss about being cleaned up and then, due to lack of sleep, was even more of a nightmare the next morning.

Sebastian's ears were gifted with a small tinkling as Ciel found he did, in fact, need to use the chamber pot. Glancing down at his small charge, Sebastian was greeted by a glare and an enormous pout.

"If you allow your face to remain in such a grimace for too long, the winds will change and you'll be stuck like that forever." Sebastian said blandly, assisting his suddenly concerned young Master off of the pot and into his night gown before lifting him into his bed. "Would you like some warm milk and honey?" he asked; the mug of sweet, sleep inducing drink standing on the bedside table.

"No." Ciel huffed, turning his nose up and face away from Sebastian. Calling up the last reserves of his patience, Sebastian bowed a little before exiting the room to deal with the chamber pot swiftly.

"I want a STORY!" came the shrill yell from the child's room. Sebastian ground his teeth together as he washed his hands. He hastened his steps back to the bedroom at the sound of tears. Ciel looked so tiny in his big bed, but had refused point blank to be moved to the nursery. "I was...a...g good b...b-b boy!" Ciel sobbed at sight of the raven demon. "I did a wee-wee in the pot! You p...pr-promised!" He wailed, big eyes scrunched up and pouring out fat tears.

Sebastian looked at the child, distressed himself by the loud cries.

"Little one, I was merely cleaning the pot so that you might use it again, I fully intend to read you a story." He soothed, picking up the big book of stories and seating himself on the edge of the bed. Ciel hiccupped himself silent and allowed Sebastian to dry his face with a handkerchief. The Raven demon then held the cloth to the child's nose. "Blow." He prompted; frowning as the toddler furiously shook his head. Knowing that threatening to not read the story again would be unfair, Sebastian frowned. "Ciel, you don't want all of the unpleasant things in your nose to stew, they'll make you poorly and you won't be able to play outside with the chickens, and I most definitely won't be able to take you riding on Abra, what if he got sick?"

One thing that had definitely carried from the Ciel before he found his animal form and subsequently became a toddler was his love of the chickens and his utter adoration of his horse.

Ciel blew his nose obediently after a moment's thought and then nudged at the book in Sebastian's lap until it was opened. As soon as he saw the yellowed pages of the book and the black text, Ciel snuggled under his blankets and laid still, bright eyes watching Sebastian as he read. After a few pages, Ciel closed his eyes, listening as Sebastian carried on. The butler knew that Ciel was merely imagining the characters and their adventures behind those closed eyelids. It wasn't until the boy's breathing evened out and his form went limp that he stopped.

After a week of this new form, Sebastian was both growing accustomed to and frustrated by Ciel's young self. This was to be the first night that Ciel was sleeping alone. Sebastian intended first to write his mother a letter of apology and to ask for her help in the situation he found himself in. Then, he'd tidy the house as swiftly as possible. Hopefully there would be time to grab at least an hour's sleep himself, Ciel rose with the sun these days, but Sebastian was mentally and emotionally exhausted. He'd discovered a new found sympathy for mortal parents, especially mortals who for whatever reason had to raise a child alone. If _he_ was exhausted by this child, with all of his strength and speed, how did a mere mortal manage? Sometimes with multiple children to care for!

* * *

_**My Dearest Mother,**_

_** I am writing this letter, first and foremost, to offer my most sincere apologies for my inexcusable behaviour the last time you visited. There really is no excuse for the way I treated you. I even knew so at the time. I believe my concern for Ciel made it difficult for me to retain control of my temper and for that I am sorry. I hope that you can forgive me.**_

_**I do not believe that Ciel would still be alive had you not been with us.**_

Sebastian frowned at that line considering the fact that Ciel would not have been put into danger had Alkippe not appeared with Meri in tow. Shrugging this off, he continued to write, eager for the first time in his existence to actually sleep.

_**Since he first awoke roughly two weeks ago, Ciel has suffered an unusual side effect of his condition. I am concerned that the poison has remained in his system and tampered with the way his body reacts to maturing. I am finding it difficult to deal with this new development and was hoping that you might be able to lend your advice.**_

_**I, of course, would not ask that you leave Meri behind, though would prefer that he stay in the grounds rather than entering the house as Ciel is currently prone to touching things he knows he should not. There is an ornamental pool in the stone garden which I believe would appeal to Meri's new form.**_

_**I truly hope that you can forgive my behaviour, however, if you cannot, please at least consider Ciel's health. I am unsure of what to do and could use your guidance in caring for the boy.**_

_**Your humble Son,**_

_**Sebastian**_

Sebastian scanned his words and wrinkled his nose. They sounded so stilted and really didn't put across his feelings, but they would have to do. He carefully rolled the message tightly and sealed it before summoning aMuan demon. The messenger that arrived was ridiculously small, its gleaming yellow eyes seeming even bigger than an owl's usually would. It was so small that he wondered whether his letter would throw the bird demon's balance off during flight. Before he could really consider sending it away, the Muan stuck out a scaly leg and seemed to glare at him. With a wry chuckle, Sebastian affixed his missive with a silken red ribbon to the proffered leg. He fought back a smile as the tiny demon struggled even to fit the coin he gave in payment in its beak. But it did and Sebastian had the dubious delight of watching the large bulge travel down its gullet before the messenger let out a satisfied sound and disappeared out of the window, wings working noticeably harder than when it had arrived.

* * *

As soon as he had finished his chores around the house, Sebastian had all but launched himself into his bed. To begin with he'd fully intended to sleep in the nude, long body luxuriating in the silken bed sheets that he'd bought back from his mother's house. However, after ten minutes of lying still, Sebastian realised that he was concerned about his young Master coming to find him for whatever reason. Therefore, the demon shrugged on a pair of equally luxurious night clothes and returned to bed, this time falling asleep almost instantaneously.

In the end, he was thankful for the niggling concern of his Master seeking him out. It surely had been a mere five minutes since he'd fallen asleep that a creaking noise bought Sebastian out of his slumber to full awareness. Sebastian was so focussed on sending out his senses around the house to figure out what he'd failed to notice, that he was startled when he noticed the downy tuft of hair that appeared at the edge of his mattress.

"S...Sebastian?" Came the tremulous little voice. Sebastian sighed mentally, the young Master was supposed to be asleep!

"Yes little one?" he asked, pleased that his voice still maintained its usual calm with a hint of care and affection thrown in for the child.

"I had a bad dream." The boy looked ashamed. "Can I sleep with you?" his eyes turned up from their lowered position and Sebastian's heart went out to the child at the sight of the tears swimming in them.

"Of course, Ciel." He said softly, pulling back the blankets and lifting Ciel into the bed beside him. The child was rigid, little body not relaxing even when Sebastian pulled him against his chest in an attempt to offer comfort. After a moment, he realised what the issue was. "Young Master, did you soil the bed again?" he asked, forcing his voice to remain gentle. The boy's nightshirt was damp.

"Y-yeah!" Ciel sobbed, bursting into humiliated tears. "Why? Why can't I still be me? I feel different and act different and I am scared! I'm scared, Sebastian. I feel like I'm disappearing!" Ciel choked and buried his face against Sebastian's chest as the demon wrapped his arms around the shaking form. He had not realised that Ciel was fully aware of the changes to his personality.

Once Ciel had calmed down, Sebastian bathed the child. He was thankful that Ciel's tears mixed with the fatigue left from his nightmare had left the boy pliant and willing to be bathed. Once Ciel was dressed in a clean nightgown, Sebastian swiftly stripped and remade the bed, changed his own night clothes and then took the boy in his arms as they lay down to sleep. He could only hope that Alkippe would arrive swiftly or at least send him a response to his letter. If Ciel was concerned about the changes to himself, Sebastian felt even more justified in his own concern.

* * *

A few hours after dawn, Ciel awoke. Sebastian was feeling much better for his couple of hours' sleep. He managed to convince Ciel to eat a slice of toast smothered in butter and apricot jam with the promise of allowing the boy to collect the eggs from the hens' nests today. It was rather endearing to see how tenderly Ciel handled each egg, how gently he shifted the clucking hens from their nests. When Ciel stooped down to press a kiss to the crown of one particular hen's head, Sebastian fancied he felt female reproductive organs sprouting in his midriff with the amount of maternal fondness and inner cooing over the child's adorable qualities he felt.

Once the animals had been tended to, and Ciel had fussed over and been made a fuss of in return by Amaya and Abra, the demons returned to the house. Sebastian intended to spend some time making cheese from the goats' milk. First, however, he needed to find a distraction for his very young Master. In the end Sebastian settled Ciel in the play room. The toys, for the first time in the Raven's memory, actually seemed to appeal to his young Master in a way other than one testing the appeal in order to approve marketing the products. He sat quite happily playing with the wooden Noah's Ark, marching the figurines around and setting it up so that the animals lined up in pairs to enter the ark.

"Just call if you need anything, Youngling." Sebastian said softly, smiling as the downy head nodded once in vague acknowledgment.

* * *

It only took about two hours for Sebastian to finish making the soft, flavourful goats' cheese. He took a few minutes intermittently to go and check on Ciel, however, in the last twenty minutes the boy had vacated the play room and disappeared. It must have taken a leap worthy of a feline on the child's part to manage to reach the door handle and escape the room that was supposed to be keeping him entertained. Sebastian had felt momentarily panicked before scoffing at his own foolishness. Though Ciel's eye no longer showed the distinct purple pentagram of their contract, Sebastian knew the contract still held strong. All it would take for him to find the boy would be to follow the call of the contract. It did confuse the raven demon to feel his Master's presence in the lower levels of the house. It took a while to pinpoint Ciel's location.

He was in the vault.

The vault contained a vast number of neatly stacked towers of currency. Sebastian could not fathom why Ciel would have thought to enter the lower levels of the house since it must have been drummed into the child's mind from his human infancy that that particular area was for the servants' use only. As the butler entered the warren-like corridors, his ears were met by a loud crashing sound. He winced as a tinkling noise followed, mixed with joyous, childish laughter. The vault _had_ contained towers of money. Now it likely only contained a blood red sea of coins and one laughing cat-child.

Sebastian stepped silently into the entrance of the vault. He had no idea how such a tiny person had managed to open such a heavy door and then proceed to cause such a vast amount of destruction in such a short amount of time. Ciel was sat amidst a cascade of red coins, the occasional glint of a different colour interspersed. The child was oblivious to his butler's presence until Sebastian cried out in dismay.

"Ciel! No, don't put that in your mouth!" the adult shouted, leaping in two swift bounds to reach his Master's side. Ciel turned his luminescent cat's eyes up to his butler's face, though he continued to suck furiously on the red coin in his mouth.

"Why not?" Ciel asked, popping the metal out of his mouth momentarily, licking his lips as he did. His voice was childish as he glared up at his butler's anxious face before snorting derisively. "It's not as though it's _dirty_!" he announced before returning the coin to his mouth. The metal was beginning to bleed through with violet streaks. Sebastian frowned.

"That is not the point." He stated firmly, removing the coin from his Young Master. Ciel actually growled at his elder before reaching out to acquire another coin. Sebastian spluttered and lifted Ciel into his arms. "Why do you wish to...whatever possessed you to put a coin into your mouth Ciel? I'm sure you know better than that." Ciel squirmed for a while, ears flat in annoyance, before he gave in.

"I was hungry." He said petulantly, glaring down at the attractively gleaming coins.

"Then why didn't you ask me to make you a snack?" Sebastian asked, dumfounded. Ciel's attention returned to his butler's face. The child looked thoughtful for a while before pouting.

"Your cooking isn't nice." He stated.

For the first time in his recollection, Sebastian was utterly lost for words. He opened his mouth to make a comment; then clicked it shut when a response evaded him. He stopped his movement towards the door and blinked; shifting his weight slightly to remain balanced on the slippery pile of coins.

"My...Lord?" Sebastian questioned hesitantly. "Might I ask why the food I prepare no longer satisfies you? I was not aware of any alteration in the quality of what I produce." The demon butler's pride in his capabilities of human food preparation was profound. One small comment from Ciel had thrown Sebastian off course.

"I don't know." Ciel scowled, bidding the coins one last forlorn glance as Sebastian carried him from the vault and securely locked the door.

"I had noticed your appetite seemed to have diminished since your illness...however, I wonder why you did not mention that you found the meals unpalatable?" Ciel simply shrugged and wriggled unhappily as Sebastian took a handkerchief to wipe away the red and purple staining around the boy's mouth from where he'd had that coin in his mouth. Sebastian had not been aware that it was possible for a demon to drain a coin's energy through consumption...although, now he thought of it, the Muan demons consumed the coins they received in payment. Perhaps that aspect made sense, but why Ciel was drawn to consume the energy offered by the coins he did not know.

* * *

Sebastian never got a clear answer from his Young Master. The child didn't seem to know what he suddenly found unpleasant in Sebastian's cooking. This made it troublesome for the butler as he needed to produce as many different recipes in as many different ways possible to identify what the Young Master still enjoyed eating. Ciel was not happy to eat the mortal food and fought with Sebastian stubbornly. If the butler did not pay careful attention, Ciel would 'accidently' drop his plate with astounding speed, therefore managing to reduce the likelihood that Sebastian would manage to catch it.

The butler found himself desperate for his mother to arrive. Or even offer some advice in a letter. Ciel Phantomhive, late earl of Phantomhive was a very difficult child.

* * *

**A.N – **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I wanted to assure a guest reviewer that Sebastian may love Ciel, but he would not have inappropriate thoughts for his Young Master in such a young form. The next chapter should hopefully explain this new development a little more clearly.

Thank you for all of your reviews! I can't believe how close MoE is getting to 300 review mark! And I just did a double take because I thought it was the 200 review mark! XD SOOOO exciting!

I would like to say now that if anyone ever feels inspired to draw something from my story...I would love to see it! :D I wish I could draw, but I'm not very good at it and am such a perfectionist that I just end up getting stroppy when something doesn't look the way I want it to!

Enough babble.

_**Dreamy xxx**_

_P.S. - _Aha,_ I intended to wait until the 20th to post this, but seeing my lovely reviewers reach the 290 mark goaded me into updating sooner. Thank you for your love and support guys!_


	26. Please Explain

_**August 2**__**nd**__** 2012**_

**A.N – **New chapter for my wonderful, wonderful readers who I adore ever so much. Thank you for sending me links to look at pictures, it's nice to look at good art to get inspiration!

**Disclaimer – **Really, you all know now that the most important aspects of this story do not belong to little old me.

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

He'd tried all kinds of ingredients, all manner of recipes. He'd used all his knowledge of Ciel's human form, followed by his understanding of Ciel's animal form. Sebastian had served sweets and desserts; he'd tried fish dishes and meals with large quantities of egg. He'd tempted the child with freshly baked breads and nothing had worked. Ciel simply refused to eat more than three mouthfuls. Sebastian was becoming so panic stricken that he'd resorted to restraining his young master to a chair with a harness and attempted to pry the child's mouth open with a spoon of oatmeal. The spoon had come to an untimely demise as strong little white teeth bit through the stem and crunched the spoon's bowl up into tiny pieces. Ciel had let a tiny fierce and satisfied smirk cross his face before scowling at Sebastian.

"I'm not hungry." He stated firmly. Sebastian sighed.

"Then why have I caught you trying to get downstairs three times today?" The butler asked, exasperated. He unbuckled the harness and blinked as Ciel glared at him from under his eyebrows, pouting.

"They taste good!" he insisted before scrambling to the floor. "I'm going to dig..." with that unfinished sentence lingering ominously in the air, the little cat-child scampered out of sight leaving Sebastian torn between protecting his gardens or taking the time to get some chores done or even relax.

* * *

In the gardens Ciel had discovered a particular large shrub which had a hollow centre once one wriggled past the outlying branches. The small space was dusty and dry. It was cosy and completely hidden from the outside world. It felt good to go there; Ciel liked knowing that he was out of sight. He could lie in wait and pounce on things if any dared pass nearby. This was where he went to dig, as he'd informed Sebastian. His intent was to make a proper den, a kind of bolt hole or space similar to that which a fox might sleep. He'd never been allowed to build a space of his own, never had a tree house or even been allowed to create a tent out of blankets and sheets. His room and his nursery were his own spaces, but Ciel had always wanted something that was all his and only his. Somewhere no one would come. His den would be just that.

It wasn't easy to dig in the dry earth, not much rain penetrated through the leaves to this singular patch of soil and Ciel's explorations and scrabbling around in the dust had only compacted the top layers further. He'd tried to remember the time where Sebastian had led him through altering aspects of his home. He remembered that it had been two plants in the maze, but he couldn't remember the steps it had taken. He'd hoped that, after tearing his sharp claw-like nails to shreds in an attempt to loosen the soil, he'd be able to alter it through his connection to his Home. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't remember. So much of his past seemed lost to him now, as it hidden behind a heavy veil. It was difficult to focus on remembering something these days, Ciel found himself drifting away to play or sleep or pester Sebastian. His hands hurt.

Ciel looked down at his bleeding fingers and his bottom lip wobbled. Suddenly all thoughts of making a den fled as his eyes filled with tears. His hands _hurt_! And they were dirty with dust mixed with sticky red blood; the boy scrubbed at his damp eyes and winced as his fingers met his face.

"Ouch!" he sniffled and began to wriggle his way out of the plant he'd hidden himself within. Ciel burst through the leaves and plunked himself back on the ground as he tried to think. He hated feeling this way, so disconnected and vacant. Lingering thoughts of urgency were swiftly shouldered from Ciel's mind as his mobile ears caught the sound of happy clucking. His face brightened considerably. "Chick, chick, chick, chick, chickens!" he chirped, bouncing to his feet and hurrying over to the chicken run. He'd had Sebastian build them a large enclosure with lots of plants and dust and grass and nests to avail themselves of. It was necessary to keep them somewhere contained as the grounds were so large that Ciel would never find any eggs were the hens allowed free range.

After surrounding himself with his happy, fluffy hens for a while, Ciel once again reminded himself of his broken nails and sore fingers which were still oozing slightly. With a heaved sigh, the child left the grounds and entered the house, homing in on Sebastian's presence. He was surprised to find the adult sprawled on the big rug in front of the library's window. He was on his back with limbs outstretched and a large book placed open, pages down over his face. Ciel could tell that his butler was sleeping. The sight made the boy giggle. It wasn't often that Sebastian did something so human. He reminded Ciel of an over tired father figure and for once such a thought didn't make him sad. In fact, it filled the boy with a warm bubbly happiness which led him across the room to curl up beside the sleeping adult. Choosing to ignore his painful, dirty fingers for now, Ciel gently kneaded at Sebastian's chest with the pads of his fingers, rather than hurting his sore claws further, before burrowing his nose against the man's side and drifting into sleep himself.

* * *

Sebastian awoke to a slight whimpering sound. He was surprised at himself for falling asleep, and when he opened his eyes – and removed the book that had been concealing his face and filling his nose with the unique scent of ink and old parchment – the Raven was shocked at the late hour. Another quiet sound caught his attention, this time it had been a short hiss followed by a long whine. Glancing down at a warm spot at his side, Sebastian's gaze fell upon his little Master. The child was curled into a ball, bother hands held in front of his face. At first Sebastian assumed the Ciel was sleeping and his dreams were distressing him to cause the sounds. However, after watching the toddler's tail twitching in distress and his ears pin themselves flat against his skull, Sebastian realised that Ciel was awake and appeared to be licking his fingers. What did not make any sense at that moment was the fact that the child's actions seemed to be causing him pain.

"Kitten?" Sebastian mumbled, mind apparently still asleep. Ciel froze before turning his enormous mismatched eyes upwards, uncurling slightly to allow himself room to meet Sebastian's eyes. "What's wrong little one?" the older male asked with a sudden spike of panic at the sight of gleaming wetness on Ciel's cheeks. In response the child shifted to sit up slowly. Sebastian copied his Master and blinked as the boy very gently placed his delicate little hands, palm up, into Sebastian's much larger ones.

"They hurt." Ciel snuffled, eyes focused on his hands. Sebastian frowned as he looked them over, seeing nothing wrong. He then recalled that Ciel had appeared to be licking at the tips of his fingers. Very gently the Raven turned one of the boy's hands over and winced at the mangled appearance of the little, once sharp, nails.

"Oh, Ciel." He whispered and scooped the boy into his arms before standing and carrying him from the room. "What have you done?"

"I told you..." Ciel sighed into Sebastian's ear, suddenly sleepy at the comfort, concern and warmth his butler was exuding.

"When you said you were going digging, I must admit I had envisioned some variety of tool being used." Sebastian said softly, placing Ciel on the countertop beside the kitchen sink. "Now little one, this may hurt a little." He warned.

Ciel's entire body stiffened and he instinctively curled his hands into fists before letting out a pained yelp. Tears welled in his eyes.

"Please! Please, no hurt! Don't hurt me, Sebastian!" he cried, shivering as Sebastian once again cradled the child against his chest.

Sebastian was shocked. Ciel was an incredibly brave boy who had never shown much concern about bodily harm, unless it seemed to threaten his existence – his vengeance. Of course, he whined and complained when he'd fallen ill and had been confined to bed rest, but otherwise he was rather stoic in the face of pain. He had never begged Sebastian so fervently with such panic and sadness in his voice.

"It will be over in a moment." Sebastian soothed, an idea popping into his head as he thought of a replacement to the cake he'd usually offer as an encouragement. "And if you're a brave boy, you may have another coin from the vault." He added, snorting in amusement as Ciel immediately sat bolt upright and shoved his hands out towards Sebastian.

* * *

Sebastian was sat on the swinging seat suspended from the giant rowan at the top of the gently sloping hill behind the manor. Ciel was not far off, sprawled out in the middle of a patch of forget-me-nots and daisies on the soft, carefully cropped grass. The child was laid on his stomach, fingers bandaged. His tail flicked lazily in the air as his luminous eyes followed the dancing paths of butterflies and honey bees in the air. One hand held a coin from the vault, it was black at the part held between the child's bandaged fingers but the section exposed to Ciel's red/violet stained mouth was a melted combination of red and violet with a hint of blue beginning to show at the top edge.

Sebastian was completely confounded, he had thought that the number of souls suffusing the home were enough to completely satisfy Ciel's need for the energy to grow. A demon child going through the transformation of maturity was supposed to need more energy than a young child. Did Ciel's unusual form mean that his body was not drawing enough energy in from his surroundings so that he needed to augment it through ingesting the coins? But why would he choose this form of feeding over his favourite mortal foods? Would he starve if this behaviour were to continue?

To be honest, Ciel seemed fine, excluding his injured fingers. He was vibrant and playful and still insisted on trying to remove his...

"Ciel, please put your stockings back on." Sebastian said sternly, watching with slight amusement as Ciel startled and turned to look at him guiltily.

"But my feet are hot!" he whined, pouting.

"I already said that you could remove your shoes." Sebastian stated. Ciel licked at his coin thoughtfully.

"They hurt my feet." He eventually explained, swinging his legs around to flex his paws at the male on the swing. Sebastian had not thought about how the child's shoes might harm his cat-like feet. They were very soft, canvas shoes after all.

"Yes, I apologise for not realising that sooner. However, your stockings surely do not cause your feet any pain?" Ciel was oblivious to his butler's words as he was staring off into the distance, eyes directed at a point over Sebastian's shoulder. The man sighed, but had become accustomed to Ciel's wandering attention span. He was probably watching a butterfly.

"Sebastian, dear, he told you – they make his feet hot. Besides, they must feel oddly constricting, especially on the fur between his paw pads."

Sebastian swung around and gaped at the sight of his mother. He swiftly leapt to his feet and drew her into a firm embrace.

"I'm sorry for being so inexcusably rude and aggressive towards yourself and your charge when you were last here." He murmured fervently into the top of Alkippe's head of silky silver hair. The female chuckled.

"You were forgiven long ago my little one; I know that you were worried. I am glad to see that Ciel is fully recovered." Ciel, who had skittered over to the adults in time to hear this, and Sebastian both stared at the female, eyes wide with disbelief.

* * *

Ciel was a melted puddle of purring ecstasy, draped across Alkippe's lap as she scratched gently behind his feline ears. Sebastian was staring at his mother in disbelief.

"You're saying that Ciel is like this...because of me?" he asked incredulously, pangs of guilt rolling through his stomach in a distracting manner.

"Yes. You see, sometimes when a child is adopted, the new guardian is not ready for them to grow up since they have not had the opportunity to see the babe grow from childhood to maturity. This second youth is short, their growth much more accelerated than even a human child. But it gives the opportunity for the child and their carer to bond properly, experiencing each developmental stage. It also gives the chance for the child to learn skills that the adult believes are important, such as hunting, swift movement, silence, singing and fighting."

"Singing?" Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know you have a beautiful singing voice dear, and I am sure that you must have sung to Ciel when he had troubles falling asleep..."

"Mmm...No Granma, Sebastian reads to me." Ciel muttered sleepily, missing the fondness wash over both adults' faces at the name the child had given Alkippe.

"Then why is Ciel not eating anything mortal?" Sebastian chose to ignore the question of why singing might be considered an important skill; perhaps it was purely because song could calm humans.

"I believe that Ciel's body has lost its human limitations, he is more demon than before now. As for the coins, you were the same. I think it has something to do with instinct. Knowing that the coins will offer more power, a child is trying to build strength to grow, and to protect themselves. Just make him feel safe and he might stop. It will not harm him to have one every now and again." Alkippe explained.

"Yes!" Ciel hissed to himself happily, curling one hand into a fist gently, wary of his sore fingers, in celebration. Sebastian snorted in amusement and Alkippe let out a bell-like peal of laughter. Ciel looked from one to the other with a sheepish expression before slithering from Alkippe's lap and pawing at Sebastian's stomach until the male reclined in his chair. Letting out a satisfied rumbled, Ciel clambered onto the raven demon's lap and kneaded up his torso until he found a comfortable spot to curl up on Sebastian's stomach, head pillowed below his steady heartbeat.

* * *

Alkippe left her son and the sleeping child with promises to visit soon. She also explained that Verdelet had taken leave from his duties to help Meri through his maturing. With a stern reprimand to Sebastian's snarl at the mention of the damned angel, Alkippe pressed a light kiss to both males' foreheads and left them to their own devices.

Hours later, Sebastian was dozing in an attempt to fend off utter boredom; Ciel shot up from his coiled position on the elder's stomach and pressed his nose up against Sebastian's. His eyes were wide and focussed on his butler's. Sebastian made a little choking sound and blinked at the child, eyesight blurred from the close proximity. After several long minutes of complete and utter silence, still in the unusual position, Sebastian decided to speak up.

"uhm...What is it little one?" he questioned, slightly uncertain about Ciel's abrupt awakening and following actions. The child had not yet blinked. Ciel remained still for a handful of seconds before bursting into motion yet again and clawed his way up to situate himself atop Sebastian's head, used the shocked man's mouth as a foothold – allowing him enough traction to swivel around on his stomach and slide down so that his legs were draped over Sebastian's shoulders. From this peculiar stance, Ciel buried his nose into the raven locks and breathed in deeply. Sebastian could have sworn he felt Ciel swiftly swipe a grooming lick through his hair before loudly announcing that it was time for a bath.

"C'mooooooon Sebastian! Let's have a bath! With lots and lots of bubbles and...and...DUCKS!" Sebastian winced at the shrill shriek bestowed upon his left ear as he carried his Master piggy-back towards the bathroom.

"Ducks?" he asked, wondering where his little charge thought he would find such creatures and why he wanted to bathe with them. "Young Master...are you certain?" He could feel Ciel's entire frame bouncing with the force of his enthusiastic nodding.

"Yep! Yellow ones and green ones and spotty ones and ones with glasses and ones with clothes and ones that squirt water and ones that squeak and BOATS! Oh yes, boats and dragons and fishes and ducks. The ducks are very important." At this, Sebastian began to comprehend that perhaps Ciel did not truly wish to share his bath with water birds.

* * *

**A.N – **Just a word to those who ask me to contact them via email, you need to be sneaky to post your email address in a review as will gobble them away if you just type the whole thing out. Sorry! Same with posting links, which is a great shame.

There you have it. Sorry if it's a bit random. I had a very stressful week playing mummy to my two younger brothers as my parents went off gallivanting to Scotland without us. Lol. I am big enough and ugly enough to be responsible for the house and its occupants. As my dad pointed out, I am old enough to have my own children, but as my brothers are both teenagers and intent on killing each other 87% of the time, I found it a challenge. So, this chapter might be a little silly as a way for me to unwind from my crazed state of mind! Hope you enjoyed it though!

_**Dreamy xxx**_


	27. Young Again

_**October 6**__**th**__** 2012**_

**A.N – **I want to say sorry for this chapter. And for the delayed update...And I will explain myself at the end. Thank you for your patience.

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Ciel suddenly adored bath time after being rather anxious about it as a cat. Sebastian was amused by the child's insistence that he have a tub filled with bubbles, toys and sweet scents. He roamed around beneath the bubbly surface and popped out in the hopes that he'd startle the older demon. Occasionally he'd spook himself by pulling the plug out of the bottom of the bath. When these occasions occurred, Ciel would insist that Sebastian bathed with him the next bath he took. These baths were still filled with bubbles and toys. Sebastian exited them smelling sweetly of vanilla or jasmine or some other such sweet scent. Though he found these scents befitting his tiny master, Sebastian did not agree with Ciel that they were universal scents that complemented everyone and would often have to bathe again to wash the clinging sweetness away.

The baths with Ciel were always eventful. The boy would splash around, zooming his rubber ducks through the water before flying them into the air. He'd cajole Sebastian into singing songs about the life stories of the mamma and papa ducks and their seven ducklings. He'd clamber all over the raven and pile bubbles up around his face and atop his head before giggling and blowing them away into the air. Sebastian found this time together pleasant, it was a sort of bonding experience.

Ciel did not change noticeably day-by-day, but each week that passed saw the boy growing – physically and mentally. Sebastian had to keep an endless supply of varying distractions planned. One day, Ciel would want to study music, the next he would urgently insist that he needed to create an herb garden, and then his attention would shift to hunting. Hunting was the one constant method of entertainment that Ciel returned to, sometimes five times a day. He liked to lie in wait in some hidden spot or shadowy nook and pounce on Sebastian's feet as he walked past. The butler was never caught unawares but he did allow Ciel to actually make contact with him rather than simply sidestepping. It wouldn't do to discourage the child's instincts.

Sebastian had decided that Ciel's natural affinity towards hunting indicated that it would be the most apt lesson for him to focus on. Besides the fact that as a hell-cat, Ciel's animal form was designed to be a hunter (as well as pampered lovingly), Sebastian wanted to ensure that Ciel was highly skilled in being able to protect himself and those he contracted with from other humans as well as demons. It was therefore imperative that Ciel learnt to move swiftly and silently. He would need impeccable reflexes and strong muscles as well as complete faith in his body's abilities. He should not even need to consider the height of a drop, simply take the leap and land on his feet without so much as a blink, it should be completely natural.

Of course, being so young, Ciel was not quite ready for rigorous training, so Sebastian allowed him to hunt in a playful manner, almost similar to a mother cat who will bring half dead prey animals to her young so that they learn that their food is not always dead. The child would stalk reflections dancing on the hardwood floors, pounce on flies, bat crumpled bits of paper around and generally behave like a playful kitten. He also turned to tormenting the goats – which he'd feared before – gleeful at the fact that he was finally able to outmanoeuvre them.

* * *

Staying seated on a wildly thrashing and bucking goat was _much_ more difficult than sitting on Abra's back, however, it was also so much more fun. Not that riding Abra wasn't fun, but making the goats anxious filled Ciel with a vindictive glee that he hadn't felt in ever such a long time. The creatures were ever vigilant for his appearance, and yet he always managed to vault onto one's back, sending it careening around the paddock in a vicious panic, bucking and skidding in an attempt to throw him. Most recently the goats had tried running head-long at the sturdy fence in the hopes that the impact would dislodge him. Suffice to say, most of the goats were likely suffering awful headaches as, when they neared collision, Ciel simply leapt onto the nearest fencepost and easily retained his balance even though the whole structure shuddered. It was a great deal of fun, but his attention drifted so quickly these days and he was running out of things to do.

Sebastian was being boring a lot, writing on important paper that Ciel wasn't allowed to play with. He'd always stop working if Ciel asked him to though. After sending three goats into probable concussions, Ciel traipsed back indoors and meandered his way to the study, pausing only once to pounce on a ginormous spider to bring as a gift to his butler. It felt funny in his mouth as the hairy legs twitched so Ciel grasped it firmly in one hand. Half-alive creepie-crawlies were more fun to play with than dead ones. Sebastian, however, did not seem to appreciate his generous gift when he plopped it down onto whatever the raven demon was working on. In fact, rather than taking any time to at least bat it around a bit, Sebastian scooted it onto a spare bit of paper, squashed it with a merciless press of one palm and threw it into the waste paper basket.

"Well done little one." He praised absently, patting Ciel twice between his ears before returning his attention to his work. Ciel wrinkled his nose and swiped at his suddenly wildly twitching ears. Well he never did! How could Sebastian not appreciate such a wonderful, thoughtful...Ciel blinked, there was an owl tapping at the window. Sebastian was too absorbed in whatever he was doing to notice. Ciel wriggled in excitement, he'd never hunted a hunter before. Unless spiders counted as hunters, but they were lazy and just lay in wait. Silently he opened the window and smirked as the silly owl flew into the room. He crouched, eyes fixed on the bird that had perched on the chair on the opposite side of the desk to Sebastian. It sat there, staring owlishly at Sebastian. Because...it was an owl.

Ciel's tail flicked, eyes darting from the owl to Sebastian, the distracted adult hadn't even noticed the avian intruder yet. Ciel wondered if he would be upset to be gifted a fellow bird, or pleased with his developing hunting skills. A spider was one thing; surely an owl would be that much more impressive. Just as the young cat child made a leap for the owl, something grabbed at the back of his neck. Instinctively, Ciel went limp, eyes still fixated on the owl which hooted indignantly at him.

"Ciel! What on earth has gotten into you!?" Sebastian's clear voice rang out sternly above Ciel's head. The small demon twisted in an attempt to glare at Sebastian as he hissed at him. This was not on! First Sebastian ignored him and then he scolded him for trying to catch a bird.

"It's not like it's a raven." The boy growled, forehead furrowed as Sebastian picked him up under his arms and turned him so that they were face-to-face. "It's just a bird. You were more interested in that stupid paper than me. I tried to be good and leave you to your work but it's been _hours_ and I've already hunted the goats and caught a fish...I put it back. And you didn't like my gift before so I thought that if I caught an owl..." Ciel hung his head, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by frustration and embarrassment. He felt shy under that red gaze.

"I apologise." Sebastian said in a formal tone. Ciel sniffed derisively and looked back into his butler's face. He bristled at the fact that the words were not directed at him, but the owl.

The creature let out a quiet hoot and accepted a roll of parchment and a red coin from Sebastian before flying out of the window.

After Sebastian had calmed the indignantly squawking Ciel down, he explained that the owl was in fact, a demon messenger and that they were not to be harmed in any manner. He then apologised for his distraction and said that the pair could do anything Ciel wanted. Ciel, who had not quite forgiven Sebastian, began plotting some activity that he knew the demon would not enjoy. Whilst they groomed the horses, the young feline demon thought very long and hard. He requested a cup of tea and some strawberries out in the garden and sat on the tree swing as he waited.

As he was nibbling on the juicy red fruits, Ciel's eye was drawn to a stick that had fallen from the tree his swing was suspended from. As he eyed it, the boy's mind whirred and he realised exactly what he wanted to do. Sebastian caught the devious expression on Ciel's face and immediately regretted not paying his little master enough attention. Before he could think up and offer an appealing alternative, Ciel spoke.

"I know what I want to do now, Sebastian." The butler paled and grimaced at the request but simply nodded obediently.

"Yes, my Lord."

* * *

Ciel threw the stick as far as he could, which was impressively further than he'd have managed as a human. A silky coated, black Labrador tore after the stick, skidding down the hill as it ran flat out. Ciel noticed that Sebastian's heart wasn't in his role. The body language was all wrong. He'd have to teach him. Lesson one. An excited – happy dog wagged his tail. The boy smiled to himself, gazing over to the maze where Abraxas was nibbling thoughtfully on the bushes before skittering along a little further and repeating the process.

A drumming sound against the ground made Ciel look up. The black dog was running towards him with a stick in its mouth. The child's eyes went wide and he let out a startled cry.

Suddenly, Ciel found himself to be perched on a small branch near the top of the tree, peering down at Sebastian through the leaves. The dog stared up at him before shifting into his human form, looking concerned.

"Ciel?" Sebastian called up to the clinging cat-child. Ciel blushed. He knew instincts were important for demons, but _really_?! Was a _dog_ any threat to a demon, even if he _was_ a hellcat. He could still feel his heart pounding and his fingers gripping the branch tightly.

"Ciel, it's ok. Come on down, I should have thought about it before shifting." Sebastian said soothingly. Ciel attempted to shift his limbs, but found that they were unresponsive. Sighing in exasperation, he called out to Sebastian grouchily.

"I can't. I'm stuck."

How humiliating.

* * *

The day that Sebastian had scaled a tree to carrying Ciel back down was lost to the vaults of their minds. Months passed and Ciel grew. It was odd, in a way it felt like a very long time had passed. The spectrum of the child's life was laid out before the pair. They were visited regularly by Alkippe and occasionally she was accompanied by Artair. Ciel was taught to move silently, to run swiftly, to leap great heights, to fight and to become so still that he would not be perceived. He loved his lessons, delighting in each new skill learnt. Sebastian taught him to cook human foods, showed him how to make a perfect cup of tea and how to make the bed. Ciel didn't enjoy these lessons so much, though cooking was quite entertaining. He also learnt to identify poisons that would affect humans as well as the few that demons were susceptible to. Sebastian ensured that the child knew what the antidotes were, as well as how to make and administer them. The boy learnt as swiftly as he grew.

On the other hand, the second childhood also seemed incredibly short. Sebastian found himself feeling anxious about Ciel growing to full maturity, but Alkippe assured him that all parents felt this way. She emphasised how wonderful it would be to take Ciel out of his home without having to worry about feeding him. How exciting it would be to bring the newly grown demon to hunt amongst humans for the first time. There were still many new experiences for them to share, and their relationship would still be a close one, despite not needing the parental aspect to it any longer.

Ciel still had a lot to learn. His lessons had all been skills to learn, but real life experience would be a lot different. Sebastian worried about the boy a lot. Ciel was now grown to the stage he'd found his animal form. This time he had no extraneous body hair and his movements were all graceful and light. Sebastian could clearly see the young man's beauty and strength. It was almost as though becoming a demon had intensified and highlighted Ciel's best qualities, showcasing them in his youthful, lithe form. He was bright and confident and had grown into a man that Sebastian was certain his parents would have been proud of, minus the one little issue of his now demonic nature.

* * *

By the time Ciel had reached adolescence for the second time – which he still thought incredibly unfair – he could remember his past. These memories were no longer tinged with sorrow or anger. Ciel felt removed from his human life, though he remembered it clearly. He found himself enjoying life as a demon, learning whatever skills Sebastian seemed to think would aid him once he matured. And Ciel felt ready to finally be recognised as an adult. His and Sebastian's bath time together had finished months ago, and Ciel found he missed the feeling of closeness it had brought. These days the two demons only really spent quiet, relaxing time together when reading in the library. Other than that, it was just lessons. Ciel had even started sleeping alone again – not that he found he needed to very much these days.

In fact, Ciel felt very...anxious. He felt full of unspent energy, even if he spent hours training with Sebastian. He kept quiet about it for a week, but the feeling only seemed to build until Ciel found it troublesome to remain still for more than a handful of minutes at a time.

"Sebastian?" he eventually questioned the raven demon as they were grooming the horses. Wine coloured eyes looked up at him over Amaya's back and a black eyebrow arched questioningly. "I...have been feeling..." Ciel trailed off thoughtfully. "...extremely energetic? Of late." Ciel combed a tangle from Abraxas' mane and smiled as the young horse nuzzled him. "I feel as though I have too much energy even though I am not actually sleeping most nights and even after spending the day working with Abra followed by training with you. It is rather distracting and becoming quite ... tiresome." He scrunched up his nose.

Sebastian's eyes widened slightly and he came around the horses to look at Ciel closely. He asked a string of bizarre questions ranging from 'have you been feeling hungry?' to 'when did you last taste blueberries?'. Ciel answered as best he could and yelped as Sebastian dragged him by the arm, out of the stables – into the house and through to the study. There he collected a sheaf of papers and a pen before pulling Ciel after him up into the boy's bedroom. Taking a seat near the window, Sebastian indicated that the hell cat should do the same.

Ciel watched curiously as Sebastian leafed through the pile of papers, scanned a few lines of text, pulled out three different sheets of paper, wrote a couple of words on each and carried them to the window. Soon, a large black own landed on the sill and accepted the papers and two black coins before nodding at Sebastian's murmured words and flew off.

The blue haired male fidgeted as the other sat down again and began looking at the papers in front of him. After three minutes, Ciel leapt to his feet and began pacing. "Sebastian! An explanation would be nice!" he hissed.

Sebastian looked up, obviously startled from a train of thought. He looked slightly nervous to Ciel.

"I apologise. It seems to me that you are maturing." Sebastian said. Ciel blinked, sat down on his bed abruptly and heaved out a long sigh.

"Finally."

* * *

**A.N – **Okay. Explanation time!

This chapter did _not_ want to be written. I found it so hard to do, you can't believe! So, with my rl...life getting all complicated and stressful, I couldn't dredge up the effort to sit down and force my way through the writer's block. I would get out a sentence a day if I was lucky. Sometimes one a week.

I was working on resubmitting my project, booking graduation, went to a family gathering to scatter my Little Nana's ashes. I went away for a few days...I have been looking for a job. I am struggling to find motivation to get up in the morning, let alone write.

I have recently joined an RP group which is wonderful and supportive. They're the reason I have managed to _finally_ get this to you. I have also started volunteering as a teaching assistant at my local primary school, so I have to get up and do stuff. However, this is absolutely draining me...so I can't promise my updating is going to get any quicker.

I am very, very, _**Very**_ sorry for being so slow. And thank you for your amazing reviews and patience and gentle nudging. I hope you can forgive me. I'm suddenly a grown up after...17 years of being in education. And I'm finding it quite scary.

I love you guys!

_**Dreamy xxx *cuddles* xxx**_


	28. Not a Butterfly

**A.N -** Merry Christmas! I have been so desperate to writ this for today! I'm pleased to have something relatively decent out but do apologise for it's shortness. I hope you are all having a wonderful holidays and are spending time with the people you love!

**Disclaimer - **Nope, not mine.

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Ciel remembered Sebastian saying that maturing was difficult, that it required a lot of energy and that the child's parents needed to be around. He had not expected _this_ however! A few days after Sebastian had announced that Ciel was maturing; the younger demon spent the night exploring the entire house, from the basement to the attic. He felt disconnected from himself in a way; his instincts were searching for something but apparently did not find it necessary to enlighten his conscious mind as to what this thing was.

Sebastian was aware of Ciel's restless search of the house, but carefully avoided him and refused to speak. When Ciel went to ask a question, Sebastian would leave the room. It was all very frustrating.

The next thing Ciel found himself doing was relieving all the couches and beds and armchairs of their cushions and pillows and blankets. He systematically divested the entire house of comfortable textiles and carried the items to the nook where he had spent his poison induced illness. Once he had collected everything that could possibly be considered 'comfortable', Ciel began building what he could only describe as a nest.

After layering the floor thickly with cushions and building a wall of them around the room's perimeter, Ciel covered that layer in feather filled pillows and then covered everything in blankets and eiderdown. The corner of the room furthest from the door had the resemblance of a chair; it had been constructed with a little hollow so that Ciel could recline there fully supported. He was most confused.

After the nest was finished, Ciel lost all interest in it and found himself frequently drawn to the vault and collecting a handful of coins before leaving swiftly. Sebastian never seemed to notice. Whilst Ciel would eat one or two of the coins, he stored the rest in a little wooden box on the mantelpiece of the fire in the dining room.

* * *

Over the next week or so, Ciel's behaviour didn't change much. He continued to interact with the animals, grinning viciously when the goats showed anxiousness around him. He would read with Sebastian, wander the grounds and request lessons in cooking again. He also continued to retrieve and horde coins.

Then, all of a sudden, Ciel was hit by a wave of fatigue. He swayed tiredly as he went to collect his little box of coins and carried it with him as he lit a fire in the dining room and then meandered into his nook. Settling into the corner of the room and pulling a patchwork blanket over himself, Ceil systematically ate the contents in the box of coins before falling asleep.

When he awoke, Ciel could not move his limbs. Craning his neck, the young demon cried out and desperately began to squirm. He flinched as something touched his face and turned panicked eyes to meet Sebastian's.

"Se-Sebastian!" he whimpered.

"Hush, you are fine." The Raven demon soothed. "You are maturing." He added. Ciel peered back down at his body, examining what he had thought to be spider silk stretching across him tightly. He frowned, identifying the bonds as the beginnings of a cocoon.

"I am not a butterfly! Nor a caterpillar!" he protested. "You said 'metaphorical chrysalis'. I assure you that this is _most_ literal!"

Sebastian smiled gently, brushing gentle fingers over Ciel's hair soothingly. "All children mature differently. I created an egg, according to my mother. They ended up placing me in the fire until I hatched. Father just dug a den and went into a deep sleep. Some demons submerge themselves in liquid. Others bury themselves in plant matter. It doesn't always relate to your animal form. I believe it has something to do with each demon's beliefs about the process. For some, like you, it seems it is a transformation, for others – an ordeal, some hide from it, some are bored by it. I perhaps saw my maturing as a sort of rebirth."

Ciel quietened under Sebastian's touch and listened to his soft voice before nodding. "Don't leave me." He murmured, closing his eyes. "I do not like this at all."

Sebastian nodded, petting Ciel's hair still. "I will be here. I have ensured the animals will be fed and watered enough for an extended period. You will be fine. Just relax. There is nothing to be concerned about."

* * *

Ciel was glad that Sebastian was there. When his silken threaded cocoon covered his face, he found staying calm difficult. And it _hurt_. Oh how it hurt, he could feel himself melting and changing, his bones reforming, lengthening, shifting and becoming lighter but stronger. His flesh burnt and altered, running like a wax sculpture in a fire. It was pure torment and Sebastian's touch and voice were the only things to let him know that time was still passing.

Every so often, the raven demon would do something that gave Ciel a reprieve, a span of time where he could rest, painless and cool for a while. Then the torture would start again.

It took a week for the pain to abate. Ciel gladly fell into a deep sleep, allowing Sebastian the chance to tend the animals. Something told Ciel that it wasn't all over just yet, that he needed to gather his energy for one final push.

He slept for just over twenty four hours before beginning to struggle his way out of his cocoon. He knew Sebastian was there, offering encouraging words, but he couldn't help. It could not be forced; Ciel had to do it alone. It wasn't easy, he felt weak and the cocoon had solidified in the week he'd been encased in it. It felt like it took forever to claw and bite and squirm his way free of his prison until he flopped out, panting, draped unceremoniously over Sebastian's lap. He was _exhausted_.

Glazed glowing red eyes fluttered open, Sebastian's contract once more etched into the iris. Sebastian smoothed his hands gently over Ciel's hair and back, soothing and gentle. Ciel sighed softly and blinked. "Is it done?" he asked, cheek resting against Sebastian's leg.

The raven demon hummed. "Yes. Welcome to adulthood, Ciel."

* * *

Sebastian let Ciel drift back into a restorative slumber before picking him up, holding the younger demon close to his chest as he carried him to his room. Laying Ciel onto his bed, Sebastian took the chance to simply look at him. The boy was now an adult. He was stunning. All traces of baby fat were gone; he was built more like an athlete...or, to be honest, a cat. Lithe muscle under soft skin. All demons had their own clothing when they shifted forms. A signature outfit. Something that expressed something about you. Ciel's demonic form wore skin tight soft leather trousers in a charcoal grey colour. His boots came to mid thigh, laced tightly with a modest heel. He wore a very long black coat with a swirling skirt and heavy mantle worn open over Ciel's bare chest.

The boy was beautiful. Everything a Hell Cat should be.

Sebastian did not know how their relationship would change now. Ciel would still need guidance, but he was not obligated to receive that guidance from Sebastian. He may decide to keep the raven on as his butler, he might send him away. But, Sebastian was proud to have supported Ciel through the various changes he'd undergone on his journey into fully grown demon.

Ciel slept for ninety six minutes before gleaming red eyes opened slowly, taking in the sight of Sebastian asleep beside him. The young demon smiled slowly, stretched languidly and rolled closer to his butler, curling into the curve of Sebastian's body and settling into the warmth. He felt as though he were moving very quickly, but at the same time – everything seemed to have slowed down.

Things were different. For the first time he was completely aware of his home. He could feel the chickens scratching in their run, knew that Abra was rubbing his flank against the rowan tree. He could also feel the fluttering pressure of the few souls that still floated around his home. He wondered how many had gone into bringing him through his transformation into adulthood.

* * *

Sebastian was surprised to find that little had changed between himself and Ciel. The boy was more confident in some ways, and yet still strangely hesitant, especially when it came to leaving his home. He no longer wore his eye patch, he walked tall and proud, but Sebastian could tell that his young master was nervous. Perhaps it was because he thought he could no longer turn to Sebastian for protection from the unknown, he needed to face it himself. Still, he hated being the object of scrutiny, and many people wished to meet the new Hell Cat. It was only a matter of time before they would be forced to host a party to satiate the curiosity of Ciel's new peers.

For now they worked on making sure all of Ciel's paper work was filled out. He would receive his own income when he'd learnt to hunt and, to Sebastian's pleasure and surprise, the blue haired demon asked him to teach him to do so.

"You don't have to leave now that I am grown, do you?" he had asked one morning. Sebastian had shaken his head.

"I may stay with you for as long as you wish me to. Someone must teach you the laws and how to hunt and how to exercise your will...what you might call magick." Ciel had looked pleased but did not voice the 'I do not want you to leave me.' That he wanted to say. He did not know what Sebastian was to him any longer. He was more than his butler, more than a teacher and a carer...was it friendship? He didn't know. He missed their close contact but didn't know how to ask for it to return. He didn't want to remain childish or seem weak.

* * *

Learning to manipulate his surroundings was easy in his home. It was as though his home was a space in his mind. If he wanted to bring a chair into existence, he merely had to imagine it there. With practice he stopped melding two objects together through lack of concentration. The chicken/teapot had been a disaster. Sebastian, as ever, was a marvellously patient tutor who explained things clearly and concisely and encouraged him when he made mistakes, praising him when he did well. Ciel still managed to feel mixed up around the older man.

He knew that it was...considered wrong for a male to desire another of his gender, but he _was_ a demon now, and he had seen male couples and female couples in the town. There seemed to be nothing wrong in this culture, but he was still unsure about whether he truly felt...love and attraction for Sebastian or was he merely looking for a way to bind the demon to him? Being an adult did not bring everything into clear understanding and Ciel dearly wished it had. He'd thought that wisdom came with age; he would find some wisdom quite useful about now.

Sebastian was tied to him anyway, through their contract...but Ciel didn't really feel that it applied anymore. Sebastian was _more_ than a butler. They'd grown closer, learnt more about each other. Ciel felt that they were...family. He liked the idea of Alkippe and Artair as family members too. Was it strange for him to find this level of contentment in Hell? Though he was confused about his relationship with the raven demon, he felt very...whole. He no longer felt the anger and despair of his past life.

He wondered what adult life as a demon would bring. He would have to form a contract. He might find a mate, have a child. He might live with Sebastian for a millennia before deciding that he needed to do something new. Would he be required to torment the Tortured souls? Would he be sent to cause havoc and mayhem back on earth? Ciel was not sure how he felt about these possibilities. But, for now, he was happy to learn about how to manipulate him home and anticipate returning to earth with Sebastian to be taught to feed upon a soul.

* * *

**A.N - **Okay guys. This story is dying on me. Feed me plot ideas or something else I fear I may struggle to continue with it! I feel like my eyeballs are about to explode right now, so I'll leave you with another 'Merry Christmas' and a mince pie!

_**Dreamy xxx**_


	29. Ever The Student

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Ciel stretched and smiled slowly, enjoying the way his demonic form shifted. He was lithely muscled, he fancied, like an acrobat. It fitted his form; he was slender and not tall by any means, but fitted nicely beneath Sebastian's chin. Ciel found he could leap very high and had complete trust of his body's capabilities to ensure his balance. He could fit through small spaces and move in silence. He regarded himself in a mirror and smiled again. His canine teeth were more pointed than before and his eyes were more almond shaped, giving his face a more feline appearance. His demon form had cat ears atop his head that were rather...expressive if he were not careful to remain aware of them. He had found that he could lay them flat against his skull and cover them lightly with his hair if he wished to disguise them, though he could not imagine why he would wish to. If he wanted to blend in, his human form would be more suited.

In all, Ciel was content now he was no longer a child. His home had become a fascinating place in which he could create most anything he could imagine. He found altering the layout of the house and grounds amusing for a while, finding somewhere where he could watch Sebastian's reaction with interest. The raven seemed to be impressed at first, Ciel showed a level of mastery not common amongst new adults, then he merely showed amusement before finally growing frustrated with Ciel's continued alterations. Going to tend the roses only to find a large hole filled with glowing fungi was not as amusing after having chased them around the garden to different areas for the past three days.

Two days after Sebastian started showing irritation, Ciel found himself standing before the swirling blackness outside his gate. Sebastian stood beside him, looking down at the Hell Cat. "We are going hunting." He said, taking Ciel's hand. "And you are going to take us to Earth. I will guide our time, you must choose our location." Ciel blinked and looked to Sebastian in confusion.

"Our time?" he queried, a cobalt eyebrow quirking. Sebastian hummed in affirmation, looking at the feline demon to watch his reaction.

"We exist apart from the mortal realm, our time travels differently and it means we are able to traverse mortal time flow freely. Time is not linear, it is far more varying and complex. It exists all at once and you only really feel it as you once did whilst flowing with it. I am going to choose a time further ahead than the one we left, incidentally, it is why we are dressed in these clothes."

Sebastian was wearing black. Black jeans that clung to his legs, a black shirt open over a black tshirt with a grinning white skull on it. Ciel wore dark jeans, though they were blue rather than black. He wore a plain blue tshirt with a hooded soft jacket over the top. It was purple and comfortable. He had also been given some odd spectacles that altered the colouration of the world through the dark lenses. Sebastian said that it would be more inconspicuous than an eye patch or an eye with purple filaments shot through it. Ciel approved of Sebastian's choice in clothing, though he felt conspicuous and uncertain in his, no matter how comfortable.

Ciel listened carefully as the older demon began to explain the steps he would have to take to transport them. Not only would he have to have a destination firmly in mind, he would have to maintain awareness of Sebastian and their general direction, steering them to a secluded spot to emerge in the mortal realm. It would be more like guiding a carriage than moving under his own power. After listening to a few of the finer points twice, Ciel tucked himself against Sebastian's side, holding onto him with an arm around his waist and his free hand tangled with Sebastian's. The avian demon's presence was reassuring.

Closing his eyes, Ciel pictured Paris. He had been told not to remember it as it looked, but to recall the way it _felt_. Despite the ambiguous nature of that instruction, Ciel found the feel of France's capital quite easily. Pausing to wrap his mind around Sebastian too, Ciel tugged the taller demon forward a step into the swirling black and purple. Guiding them through semi corporeal buildings, people and vehicles, Ciel tugged them free of the veil between realms with a little pop, emerging somewhere dark and smelling strangely lemon-like. Opening his eyes, Ciel blinked at his surroundings and looked to Sebastian who was smiling at him.

"Well done little one." Sebastian said, squeezing Ciel's hand gently. "You found a good space to emerge, and though you were a little forceful in your re-entry, you were very controlled and it was an admirable first journey." Ciel took in Sebastian's words, but was more confused by his surroundings than focused.

"This...is a bathroom?" he asked uncertainly, eyeing the rows of sinks and the cubicles containing toilets. Sebastian snorted softly and nodded.

"Yes, and if I am not mistaken, it is the female public bathroom, so it might be best we left rather promptly, without being seen if possible. I am not certain that anyone witnessing our exit could think of many innocent reasons for our being here." He said, towing Ciel behind him as he slipped swiftly from the building and into a small park, not giving Ciel a chance to ruminate on his words, nor to question them.

* * *

Ciel wasn't sure about this world, this _time_. It was beautiful and breathtaking, but ugly and dirty at the same time. Things were bigger, louder and busier. The people bustled around, barely paying notice to one another. There were no horse drawn carriages, everything was lit up with moving images and flickering colour. It was overwhelming and strange, but it was exhilarating too. Ciel walked close beside Sebastian, listening to everything, eyes bright and curious behind the dark lensed glasses.

They wandered around for a long time, Sebastian simply following the route Ciel took, guiding him when it came to roads or when the younger demon randomly chose to travel on the bus or the underground train. Ciel didn't think much of it, he was too busy acclimatising to the new surroundings, being around people, people who felt more familiar than the demons he'd met.

After a while, Ciel began walking with more purpose than his initial meandering. Sebastian began watching him with interest. The younger of the two began focussing more, no longer looking around himself. He turned down an alley, moving like a hunter, all slow purposeful movements, leaning forward marginally. Sebastian watched, eyes gleaming as Ciel smoothly transitioned into his demonic form, throwing the sunglasses to one side as he reached a jumbled pile of crates and boxes.

An elderly man lay there, breathing erratic. Ciel stared at him, eyes narrowed. "You're dying." he stated, eyes studying a kind of glowing nimbus about the man. It was flickering and pulsating. The man looked up at the boy and blinked slowly. He had a gash above his eye and was clearly in a lot of pain. He had been beaten, everything of any value he'd had on his person had been taken. Ciel eyed him curiously, watching the movement of colour around the man as it became slowly more erratic and vibrant.

"Ange? s'il vous plaît ... " his voice was weak and croaking. "Faites que ça s'arrête. Je suis dans la douleur." A shaking arm reached out towards the demon. " S'il vous plaît. Je suis fatigué. S'il vous plaît." Ciel looked at the man dispassionately. He found that, though he felt a vague sense of pity for the man's plight, he did not feel the near sickness or need to help that he might have in his past.

"Je ne suis pas un ange. Voulez-vous toujours pour moi de mettre fin à votre douleur? Je donne ma parole, il sera rapide." The man looked at him a little more clearly, taking in Ciel's ears and eyes.

"Démon? Vous êtes jeune pour être un ..." the man sighed and let his eyes close. "Je suis fatigué, juste faire vite." he murmured, going lax as he seemed to give in and accept what was happening. Ciel blinked slowly and leant closer to the man. He didn't know what it was, he smelled of blood and fear. Not particularly pleasant, but something about him made him _hungry_.

Hovering over the man, Ciel tilted his chin upwards with a gentle hand, feeling the rasp of stubble there and the wetness of blood when his touch opened a half closed wound. He paused momentarily before encouraging the man's lips to part with a thumb. There was no need to seal their lips together as Sebastian had done when feeding him - for which he was glad as it still felt quite intimate to him - all he had to do was focus on the pulsating energy within and around the man before breathing it in.

Strangely, the taste reminded him of fried mushrooms, musky and earthy with a tinge of sweetness. It was pleasant and sent a faint flush over the young demon's skin, a tingle of energy flitting through him. He laid the man back gently and stood. Turning, Ciel met Sebastian's gaze and read the pride there. "Well done." the two simple words filled Ciel with pleasure. He moved to Sebastian's side and took his hand.

"I wish...to visit your parents." he said slowly, trying to figure out the reason he wanted to show Alkippe how he had matured. Sebastian smiled.

"As it happens, we have been invited to visit." he said, pulling Ciel in against his side and wrapped his arms around the cat demon. "I shall take us now." he added, feeling bizarrely elated when Ciel pressed against him tighter before leaving the human realm.

* * *

Immediately upon entering Alkippe and Artair's home, Ciel felt an odd, lifting sensation focussed around his stomach. He pressed a hand there anxiously, frowning as he tried to figure it out. Sebastian's chuckle made him glance upwards to meet a reassuring smile. "Meri has not yet matured." the elder demon explained. At Ciel's puzzled expression, Sebastian elaborated. "You're instinctively suffusing Mother's home with a portion of the soul you consumed."

Ciel nodded and walked beside Sebastian as they approached the house. "I thought that Meri was living with Verdelet again?" he queried.

"Verdelet has many duties to fulfill." Sebastian's attention was focussed on his mother who was exiting the house with an eager expression. "Mother and father keep an eye on Meri intermittently. Though I would have thought that Meri..."

"CIEEEL!" A small form with a high pitched voice bounded from behind Alkippe's skirts and promptly affixed itself to Ciel's leg. The small creature was blue skinned with a mop of astonishingly blonde hair. Wide red eyes peered up at Ciel and a flash of white split the chubby cheeked blue face before dropping off at the sight of Ciel's questioning glance. The familiar call of his name in such a high pitch reminded him of Lizzie and it was a shock to feel no pain or longing, just curiosity and a slight wince as the tone hurt his sensitive ears.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean for you to eat me! I didn't mean it! I know I look tasty, but I...I didn't want you to be hurt! I thought I killed you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Ciel stared at Meri's toddler-like appearance and looked to Alkippe. The woman was gazing at him affectionately. "You are stunning dearest." she complimented, making the young demon blush faintly. "I am so very proud of you both." Meri was still babbling apologies at Ciel, oblivious to the fact that he was not longer paying attention.

"Thank you." Ciel responded with a hint of bashfulness. Changing the topic from himself swiftly, he asked why Meri was going through the second childhood as he had.

"Meri has not had much time to acclimatise to his life here, it is far different from his previous home..." Alkippe began, swinging Meri up to seat him on her hip as she led her guests inside...after prying the little demon's slightly sticky fingers from Ciel's leg. "And with Verdelet so busy, Meri has not really experienced a demon's childhood. Verdelet has struggled in being a mentor as his mind flits quite erratically. As much as he dotes upon young ones, he has not had any prior interest in caring for one. Artair and I have been given charge of Meri until he matures. He is growing much more slowly than you did Ciel, dear. I think he needs this. And it's nice to have a child around the house again.

* * *

Ciel sat quietly as Sebastian and his parents conversed. His attention was diverted frequently by Meri who seemed quite fixated on apologising to Ciel. The blue skinned child brought the cat-demon a number of small gifts, ranging from tail hairs from the horses, to a flower or a stick, a bouncy ball and once tiny iridescent scale which quite clearly came from a fish the child had pilfered (and eaten) from Artair's cool box.

It was odd to watch the small being concentrate so hard on Ciel as his attention span actually seemed quite sparse. He flitted around the room between gifts, playing in the corner, cuddling up to Alkippe and bounding around like...well, a frog. He was clearly excited by the visitors, but found it difficult to express this and ended up avoiding eye contact, watching them when he thought they would not notice. His energy seemed endless until, quite abruptly, Meri patted Ciel's knee and looked up at him with sleepy red eyes.

"Will you read me a story?" he asked sweetly, lifting a book up to the young demon with one hand as the other covered a yawn. Ciel blinked slowly before glancing to Alkippe. Before anyone could say anything, Meri's voice piped up pleadingly. "Please?"

Ciel soon found himself sat beside Meri's bed, the child snuggled under a silky green blanket so that only his eyes showed above the edge. Ciel was unaccustomed to reading aloud, but Meri did not seem to mind his faltering. The story was short, about a tadpole's adventures as it grew into a frog. Ciel found it dull, but Meri seemed to enjoy it, despite falling fast asleep before the frog had even grown it's front legs.

Leaving the child demon's room silently, with a bemused expression, Ciel was surprised to find Sebastian waiting outside the bedroom door with a...fond expression softening his features.

"Are you ready to leave?" he questioned softly, still looking like a doting parent or love stricken woman. Ciel nodded and led the way out, bidding farewell to Sebastian's parents.

"Was...I quite like that, when I was young?" he eventually asked as they wandered slowly up to the gate. Sebastian's smile grew wider.

"You were much more...forgive the wording, but adorable. You were sleepier and more playful. I find it strange that Meri seemed to take to you so quickly, I am told it's hard for a demon going through their second childhood to recall their past. It seems like Meri was clinging to his memory of you, perhaps out of guilt?"

Ciel's nose wrinkled at the word choice to describe him, however he recalled it had often been used to describe him as a child, admittedly by women. "It is hard to remember. It seems like a dream, and also unimportant. Even now, though I can remember, I feel very far removed from my past." Sebastian nodded thoughtfully.

"It would make sense. You are supposed to be molded on your childhood, not your past. I suppose it gives the child chance to become what their past took from them.

Ciel look thoughtful as he absentmindedly took Sebastian's hand in his own, stepping together into the swirling darkness and thinking of home. It was strange when he thought of how little he really considered his past, it was all there and he could recall it clearly, but what had seemed so pivotal and important was now inconsequential. If he really cared to consider, Sebastian was the most important thing to him these days.

And that was not something he would have expected of himself.

* * *

**Translations (**_thanks google translate!_**):**

**Ange? s'il vous plaît - **_Angel? please_

**Faites que ça s'arrête. Je suis dans la douleur - **_Make it stop. I'm in pain_

**S'il vous plaît. Je suis fatigué. S'il vous plaît - **_ Please. I'm tired. Please_

**Je ne suis pas un ange. Voulez-vous toujours pour moi de mettre fin à votre douleur? Je donne ma parole, il sera rapide - **_I'm not an angel. Do you still want me to put an end to your pain? I give my word, it will be fast_

**Démon? Vous êtes jeune pour être un... - **_Demon? You are young to be a..._

**Je suis fatigué, juste faire vite - **_I'm tired, just do it quickly_

**A.N - **guys, I am so sorry for the delay with this. 8 months is appalling. I have a few excuses. I've been unwell, anemia properly exhausted me and though my iron levels are back up where they ought to be, I am still finding myself tired and mood swingy and think there may be something else the Docs have missed.

Apart from that, I am now an adult. At 22, I have a proper grown up job and I work from 9 - 6. Since I get up at 6:30 and am home a good 12 and a half hours later, I find it difficult to sit down and write. I have been trying, but barely get a few sentences out before I lose all motivation and want to sleep or vegetate.

So, I am very sorry and hope this hasn't impacted the quality of my writing. Thank you for all of the reviews and suggestions, I couldn't have written this without you guys! xxx _**Dreamy**_


	30. What a Mark Means

**A.N - **Sorry about the delay guys. I guess things have been a bit difficult for me recently and writing's kinda on the back burner. I'm very sorry and hope that this chapter isn't a disappointment!

* * *

**Methods of Entertainment**

* * *

Learning to trust his instincts and his body had taken time. Ciel found it strange to react without barely a thought. However, with Sebastian by his side, it eventually came to the young demon that the thought was there, it was simply swifter than he had ever been capable of. His body reacted on the thought even as it was still being completed. He did not make mis-steps when treading treacherous footing. His motions were smooth and sinuous, graceful and light. It was fascinating to him, to ruminate on his own abilities, his nature and it pleased Ciel. Being _strong_ and _fast_ and beautiful in everything he did filled him with an incredible sense of satisfaction and security.

Though he relied upon Sebastian still for companionship and as a tutor, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Sebastian had tutored him through hunting until he could find a meal within moments of stepping into the mortal realm. He was not yet comfortable with the idea of tying himself to a mortal as Sebastian had to him, however, this was not necessary for him to feed. And he did not desire a specific soul yet. Sebastian said that he may never develop a specific palette as he had done.

One thing that he found particularly frustrating was the way that Sebastian skirted the subject of Ciel needing to wear his eyepatch when they left the security of his Home. If Ciel were completely honest, having both eyes uncovered was quite overwhelming at times and he had found himself closing his marked eye on occasion to allow himself chance to take in his surroundings with more calmness and ease. Sebastian managed to change the subject when Ciel attempted to query the necessity of wearing the patch. And Ciel did not have the heart to order the older demon to do anything these days.

That said, Sebastian had been acting a little out of sorts. He seemed anxious about something. When they received visitors, Sebastian was tense as though preparing for a fight, only relaxing when he saw that those visiting were Alkippe or Artair. Which was odd as they were generally the only people to visit. Once Verdelet appeared and Sebastian silently tied Ciel's eyepatch before going to greet the other demon with what Ciel could only describe as a false smile.

Was Sebastian ashamed to be contracted with Ciel?

Verdelet seemed oblivious to Sebastian's peculiar mood and made a great fuss of Ciel, admiring his ears and chiming happily that many would request such a handsome HellCat as a dance partner at his party. Which, of course,Verdelet was already planning.

"Verdelet, I thought that we had discussed keeping Ciel's ceremony amongst family and close friends?" Sebastian queried with a flash of anger in his eyes. The party was almost a complete surprise to Ciel, though now he thought about it, he perhaps did recall it being mentioned.

"Dear boy." Verdelet beamed sunnily at Sebastian, Ciel watched the raven's jaw tighten. "This was before we even knew he was to join the Hell Cats. Our Lord has insisted that we welcome the young one properly. It is at the party he will have his crest revealed after all. He will be fully recognised as an adult, and it is only fair that he is introduced to as many potential mates as possible. The party shall be the last of the season. It will be the perfect chance for new mates to be found and for Ciel to communicate with those more his own age. After all, we are old Fiarce. It is surely time that Ciel met others of his kind."

Ciel watched uncomfortably as Sebastian's expression flickered between what looked like _fear_, to discomfort and blazed anger at his old Name being used. He couldn't even begin to contemplate what Verdelet was implying with such talk of mating and seasons and crests. He did not like how the thought of a party was affecting Sebastian. Admittedly, the last they had attended may not have been the best of rehearsals, however, Ciel was certain he was more than capable of standing his own this time.

"Of course, I am honoured that you would organise such an important occasion for me, Verdelet." Ciel purred, playing diplomat and hoping Sebastian would find chance to calm himself. Verdelet's face brightened happily at the praise and he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"I am glad to hear it dear child. I am happy to make this important event the talk of centuries!" The Demon of Celebrations handed Ciel a sealed envelope and promptly kissed both demons on each cheek before whirling around and making his exit, throwing his farewells over his shoulder.

Ciel watched the other demon leave, and then listened to his Home until he was certain that the visitor had left. The raven demon eluded all attempts at conversation, saying he needed to get a tailor to come and ensure Ciel had something suitable to wear. The feline demon sighed in frustration and opened the envelope, quirking an eyebrow at the fact he was being invited to his own party. Once Sebastian left, Ciel called to Abraxas and left his home.

He intended to get some answers to his questions.

* * *

"Ciel, dear, where is my son?" Alkippe greeted with a wide smile melting into a slightly concerned frown. She automatically began to rub the right spots on Abra's face when the young horse shoved his nose against her sternum.

"I came alone, Alkippe. I apologise for simply arriving with no invitation or forewarning…" Ciel slid from his horse's back and patted the dappled neck.

"Don't be foolish child, you are most welcome, and a joy to have as a guest. Though, it does appear that you have not merely dropped in for a social call?" Alkippe looked at Ciel curiously and gently took his arm to lead him into the house, waving her free hand at Abra to allow him to go and play. The young horse gave a delighted whinny and was soon rough housing with Alkippe's young horses.

"I...have some questions to ask that Sebastian appears to be too uncomfortable to answer. I am confused by his evasiveness and feel that there are some important pieces of information that I am missing. They may even be a danger to me if the gaps in my knowledge persist as I attend my ceremony."

Alkippe frowned thoughtfully before nodding once. Leading Ciel into the kitchen, she began making tea and laid out a selection of fruits and sweet treats on a plate. "Of course I can try to answer your questions dear one. However, there may be reasons that Sebastian has chosen to keep the answers from you. If I believe the reason to be sound, I hope you will not be angered? I do know that my son would not do anything that would potentially harm you."

Grudgingly, Ciel nodded and followed Sebastian's mother into the sunroom, settling into a comfortable chair and accepting the tea offered to him with an appreciative smile. When Alkippe quirked a delicate eyebrow at him to indicate he ask his questions, Ciel drew in a deep breath. He was excited to finally hear the answers, but also nervous about their nature. Sebastian wouldn't keep something from him for no reason.

"Sebastian…." Ciel bit his bottom lip. "...and I were..._are_ contracted. When Hannah made me a Demon, the contract remained. But Sebastian insists I keep it hidden." Ciel lowered his gaze to his tea cup and sighed softly. "It troubles me, I know that it must be frustrating for him, and were I able to release him...I believe I would. I do not wish to cause him pain and I understand that he perhaps is ashamed to be bound in such a manner to me. He probably wishes for his freedom and yet...surely if that were the reason for his secrecy, he would inform me?"

Alkippe was silent for long enough that Ciel had to drag himself from his contemplation of his tea cup in order to look at her. Her expression was a peculiar mix of pained, besotted and amused. Ciel raised an eyebrow questioningly and blinked as the woman smiled at him softly.

"Dear one, it brings me joy that you care so much for my son. Though I cannot claim to know Sebastian's reasons behind keeping this fact from you, I see no issue in letting you know it. A part of me suspects Sebastian believes that when you learn of your own crest, his will no longer mark you...and perhaps he thought that what I shall tell you would cause you distress."

Ciel frowned and braced himself for some awful truth.

"We do not mark one another, not as we would a human we contract with. We may make binding oaths to one another, but there is only one occasion that a demon will mark another of our kind."

Ciel blushed furiously as Alkippe pulled at the bodice of her dress, revealing a crest emblazoned over her heart. "I…don't quite understand?" he said hesitantly, earning a fond smile.

"When Artair and I became mates, we marked one another in this manner. To be marked, especially visibly, by another demon's crest is a signal to all others that you belong to the one whose crest you bear. Were another to seek to court you, Sebastian's crest would almost definitely cause a fight between him and your suitor. They would have to earn the right to petition the crest's removal, and only then could they court you."

* * *

Ciel returned Home with his mind whirring. From what Alkippe had said, the mark of their contract was almost as though Ciel were wearing a wedding ring which made it clear to all that Sebastian was his spouse. It was quite troublesome, but not for the reasons that Ciel thought that perhaps he ought to feel. A man did not take a husband, after all. However, it had been a long time since Ciel came to terms with his affection towards Sebastian, and quite a while since he mostly gave up being concerned over his apparent physical attraction towards the Raven. That had not disappeared after reaching maturity, but had at least not caused any further embarrassing problems.

Jostled from his train of thought, Ciel found himself peering down at a frantic Sebastian from a tree branch out of easy reach from the older demon. Abra was gazing up at him in surprise at his apparent swift vacation from his back. The Feline demon blinked and focussed his attention, having reacted out of pure instinct, he wasn't actually aware of what had startled him enough to move away from Sebastian so suddenly.

"I _said_, 'where have you been'?" Sebastian enunciated, glaring up at Ciel. The young demon dropped from the tree, reading anger, fear and concern from the other.

"I...went to visit Alkippe." he supplied honestly, surprised that Sebastian had seemingly not been aware of his precise location. He'd always been able to in the past. The Raven relaxed.

"That would be why I could not find you. Mother's home always feels like home to me, I find it difficult to read specific people there."

Ciel patted Abra's neck, setting him off to pester his mother and fell into step beside Sebastian as they returned to the house. Sebastian seemed deep in thought before suddenly looking across at Ciel suspiciously.

"Why did you go to visit Mother?" he asked slowly.

"I wanted to ask her if she would be attending my ceremony." Ciel lied smoothly. The question had never been posed, but Alkippe had mentioned that she and Artair were delighted to be attending.

"She would not miss it." Sebastian chuckled. "I have heard tale of her excitement as I passed numerous women on my way to the tailor...who is here by the way." The taller demon placed a hand to Ciel's shoulder and steered him into his dressing room where a genuinely tiny red haired male stood arranging fabrics over a table. Ciel was quite pleased to find himself taller than someone old enough to be adorned with an impressive beard.

At their entrance, the man looked up and Ciel smiled at his round face and gleaming green eyes. His cheeks were rounded with a smile and quite ruddy as he stuck out a hand with oddly short and stubby fingers for a tailor.

"Mister Ciel, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have with me a collection of materials, Sebastian mentioned your preference to blues and greens?"


End file.
